


We’re Here Tonight and That’s Enough

by Saturn_Silk



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Christmas Fluff, F/F, Hallmark movie rewrite, Light Angst, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:21:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27783655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saturn_Silk/pseuds/Saturn_Silk
Summary: When LuthorCorp acquires family-owned Snow Valley Lodge from retiring owners Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers, Lena Luthor must spend the week before Christmas in Canada, preparing a proposal for the property's renovations. Determined to impress LuthorCorp’s CEO, her mother Lillian, Lena reluctantly departs to create a presentation on how to transform the rustic lodge into a new hotspot. At first, Lena butts heads with the Danvers’ youngest daughter, Kara, while simultaneously trying to ignore the lodge’s festive celebrations.But as the lodge's festive traditions provide the Christmas Lena never had growing up with her adoptive family, Lena finds herself enjoying every minute. To complicate matters even further, she develops feelings for Kara even though their families share a troubled past. With Lena’s newfound Christmas spirit and unexpected holiday romance, she begins to question LuthorCorp’s overhaul. Will she be able to convince Lillian not to demolish Snow Valley? And will her and Kara’s Christmas fling turn into something more?OR the Hallmark movie rewrite that no one asked for.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 92
Kudos: 269





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Here, have a corny Christmas movie rewrite based on the 2013 Hallmark film _Let it Snow._ Title taken from Paul McCartney's _Wonderful Christmastime._ Enjoy!

The near-silent electrical hum was the only sound accompanying Lena on the elevator ride up to the top floor of Luthor Corp. The elevator was mercifully empty, meaning there was no one to force mindless corporate small talk with, but simultaneously no one to help distract her from her building nerves.

Being called to the CEO’s office was generally a bad sign and something that Lena quite successfully avoided by hunkering down in her office, or better yet, her small private lab. Luckily, she had free range in her lab and was pretty much left to her own devices. Which suited her just fine, obviously. Her private research into biomechanics was the only thing she enjoyed about working at Luthor Corp. There, amongst her prototypes, away from the press or her mother, she could pretend that she was just another employee of a multi-billion-dollar company. At least until she was summoned.

Being summoned by Lillian Luthor was never a good sign.

She caught sight of herself in the mirrored elevator walls and noticed her hands clutched in front of herself. Immediately she straightened her back and stopped pulling on her fingers, focusing on relaxing her hands at her sides. Lillian could smell fear, and without knowing the nature of their meeting, Lena prepared herself for the worst. Had Lillian finally caught wind of just how much time she spent in her lab instead of doing her actual work? Or was there news regarding Lex? Before she could overthink the situation any further the elevator dinged, signaling her arrival on the top floor. Lena took a deep breath, carefully slipped on her professional mask, and smoothed the nonexistent wrinkles on her pencil skirt before stepping out of the elevator.

“She’s expecting me,” Lena said as she decidedly strode past the receptionist before the woman could question her. The foyer was quiet as it always was, the click-clack of Lena’s high heels the only sound echoing off the bare walls. She pushed on one of the massive stained glass doors, her eyes flitting over the silver plaque that read _Lillian Luthor, CEO,_ and stepped into what felt like a hospital theatre. Brilliant white tiles lined the floor, almost blending into the walls painted in a similar shade. A large table stood in front of the glass windows leading to a balcony. There were no flowers on the table, not even a framed photo. One open binder lay in the middle of the table and a laptop stood off towards the side. Even the walls were bare, save for four flatscreen TVs that lined the wall next to the desk. The only splash of color was that of Lillian’s blouse, which happened to be beige and thus barely adding any true splash of color at all.

“Mother,” Lena greeted steely as she advanced towards the desk. She didn’t take a seat in one of the available armchairs, hoping that the meeting wouldn’t last long enough that she’d need to sit. Instead, she came to a standstill behind one of the chairs, laying her hands flat on the backrest using it as a barrier.

A long moment passed as Lillian continued to scribble on the documents, initialing each page of the contract that lay before her. Finally, after she signed the last page and capped her pen with a click, she looked up and acknowledged Lena’s presence.

“I closed the deal on Snow Valley Lodge.”

Lena forced a tight smile. “That’s great. Congratulations.”

With Lex’s crimes came the inevitable loss of Lexcorp. The moment that Lex was incarcerated, investors pulled out and stocks plummeted. Every company that ever did business with Lex cut ties immediately, and as a result, Lexcorp was declared bankrupt before Lex even had his first trial. Lillian, in a desperate attempt to save the family name, and by means Lena rather not think about, managed to acquire enough money and resources to start up a new company- Luthor Corp under her own name. At first, the prospect excited Lena. Although the idea of working with Lillian wasn’t exactly pleasing, she was still optimistic. Perhaps Lillian and she _could_ save the family name and finally build a company that would be a force for good. But no. Her disappointment when Lillian announced it would be a real estate company hit her like a ton of bricks. _It’s the safest bet for us right now_ , Lillian had said when Lena questioned it. _Thanks to your brother, no one wants to see a Luthor near any pharmaceutical or technological advances._ It turned out Lillian was right. Despite having two doctorates, Lena couldn't even land an interview at any of the esteemed companies she had hoped to work for, and much to her dismay, after months of searching for employment she had come crawling back to a semi-successful Luthor Corp with her tail between her legs.

Lilian leaned back in her chair and clasped her hands together on the table. “I need you to go up to Canada and take a look. It’s a great location and-”

Without thinking, Lena interrupted the older woman. “To Canada?” _What?_

Lillian cocked her head to the side and raised a single eyebrow in surprise. “Yes, Lena, Canada. Do you have a problem with that?”

“I...” Lena faltered under Lillian’s stare. She swallowed and tightened her grip on the chair. “No, of course not.”

“Good. You have one week to figure out how we’re going to haul this dump into the 21st century. I was thinking of a nightclub and a ski club. We’ll throw in some jacuzzis, oh and a snowmobile racing circuit, that should attract a younger crowd.”

Lillian cited the rest of her plan for the new development, but Lena barely took note. She really didn’t want to go to Canada. Canada was cold and snowy and far. Did she mention _snowy_? She did not do well with snow.

“Lena, are you listening?”

She nodded quickly. “Yes.”

“Did you hear the question?” Lena was silent. She hadn’t and Lillian knew it. “Do you ski?”

“No.”

“Well, you better learn. And quickly. I’m entrusting this to you. It’s about time you spearhead something on your own. I’m expecting you to perform.”

She set her jaw. “I won’t disappoint you.”

There was no point in arguing with Lillian once she set her mind on something, and Lena in her attempt to get Lillian’s approval would do almost anything that was expected of her. Even if it meant spearheading the acquisition of a holiday destination in a cold, miserable place. She would just have to find a way to get out of any potential skiing.

Lillian pulled her laptop closer and clicked a few times before she spoke again. “I have some financial business to take care of and then I’ll join you. I should be there by the latest Thursday.”

The intercom made a beeping noise before the receptionist’s voice came through. “Mrs, Luthor, I have Morgan Edge on the line, he says it’s urgent.”

“I have to take this.”

She nodded once and turned on her heels, all too happy to be excused. Before she reached the door Lillian cleared her throat and Lena turned back expectantly.

“By the way, that happens to be Christmas Eve. Why don’t you and I grab a Christmas Lunch?” A pause. “It’s just the two of us now, after all.”

“That’d be great, mother.”

* * *

“She can’t send you up there!” Sam sputtered from the couch in Lena’s office. “It’s Christmas week!”

“She’s the boss,” Lena said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. She had already made peace with her fate and was currently shoving her laptop into its bag, together with other relevant documents that Lilian’s receptionist handed her on her way out.

“She’s your mother!”

 _Well, not really_ , Lena thought but instead said, “You tell her that at the next quarterly review.” She sighed as she zipped her laptop bag shut. “I don’t do cold.” Sure it could get cold in Metropolis, and some winters saw snowfall, but that would be nothing compared to the inches and inches of snowfall that she could expect in the mountains of Midvale, Canada.

Sam sighed as she rose from the couch. “You know what she’s gonna do? She’s gonna knock it all down and start from scratch, just like she does everywhere.”

“I know,” Lena replied in a singsong voice as she regarded the woman on the other side of her desk. Sam turned out to be an unlikely friend. Lena was surprised to find that Lillian had appointed a woman to be the CFO of her company. After the original CFO assisted Lex in his... crimes, it was hard for Lillian to find someone who not only had enough experience but also someone who was willing to work with a notorious name such as Luthor. Enter Samantha Arias, single mother of one. Highly qualified, hardworking, and smart, Lena expected the woman to be as cold and calculating as her mother, but she was mistaken. From the first time they met, there seemed to be an unspoken understanding between the two women, and that understanding quickly morphed into a friendship.

“So can’t you do that from here with Google maps?” Sam questioned, exasperated.

“You of all people should know that Lillian likes the hands-on approach. Likes her employees to get embedded in the projects.”

“Okay.” Sam held up her hand in defeat. “Give her your pitch on Christmas Eve and then ditch her and fly home. Spend Christmas day with me and Ruby.”

Lena hesitated for a moment. Sam made a compelling offer, and a part of her longed to spend the day at Sam’s house with Sam’s teenage daughter. But no. “I wish I could, but I should spend it with my mother. Besides, us Luthors were never big on Christmas, anyway.”

* * *

Lena regretted her decision the moment she stepped onto Luthor Corp’s private jet at an impossibly early hour the following morning. Well, the decision was the wrong word. She had no say in the matter, she reminded herself as she nervously fiddled with the buckles on the seat belt. An 11-hour flight to Vancouver was staring her in the face. Then, there was the helicopter ride to get her to the actual lodge, seeing that it was a little way up in the mountains and driving all the way would take too long. Even though the jet was still firmly on the ground, her stomach flipped uncomfortably at the thought of being in the air, not once, but twice in one day. She pushed the nauseating feeling that always came with flying away and promptly reached for her laptop bag and removed some documents in an attempt to distract herself.

The first binder Lena’s eyes fell on simply said _Snow Valley Lodge_ in bold black letters. She grabbed it and started thumbing through the pages. The first page, titled _Our History,_ contained an overview of the Lodge. Situated in British Columbia, with the Rockies as a backdrop, stood the decade’s old resort. Passed down from generation to generation, the resort was currently owned by Jeremiah Danvers after inheriting it from his father before him. Family-owned and family-oriented was Jeremiah’s motto, and apparently, the resort ran like a well-oiled machine thanks to the hard work of his wife, Eliza, and their two daughters, Kara and Alex.

The next page showed an array of photos of the property. The resort was, objectively speaking, beautiful. The main building was a massive two-story cabin built out of large tree logs, which according to the information below a picture, was harvested from the surrounding forest. The cabin sure looked impressive with its large glass windows and double-pitched slate tiled roof. The forest that surrounded the cabin was lush, and Lena recognized pine and spruce trees amongst others. Other photos showed the smaller cabins on the property that the guests stayed at. Constructed in the same style as the main cabin, these little houses seemed cozy and well equipped, sporting a mini open-plan kitchen connecting to a small lounge with a fireplace. The number of rooms seemed to vary between one and four, thus being able to accommodate even the largest families.

Lena paged on until a particular photo, titled _Meet the Owners_ , caught her eye. A middle-aged man and woman, which she deduced was Jeremiah and Eliza, stood in front of the cabin with their hands interlocked. Next to them were two women, one with long blonde hair, and another with shorter red hair. The picture must have been taken in summer as everyone was smiling brightly in their shorts and t-shirts. Lena leaned in closer to observe the family. They all looked so happy, and her heart clenched up at the sight of the two sisters throwing their arms around each other's shoulders. There was a time when Lex’s arms were draped over Lena's shoulders too. Back when…

The pilot’s voice came through the intercom. “Miss Luthor, we're getting ready to take off. Please buckle up.”

The wave of nausea returned as Lena shakily buckled herself in, tugging at the restraints to make sure they were secure. An uncomfortable pull started behind her navel as the jet picked up speed on the runway. She rested her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. She took deep, measured breaths as her hands clenched, her fingers digging into the faux leather upholstery of the armrest. Only when the plane leveled out did she open her eyes and pry her stiff fingers away from the seat.

She spent the next 11 hours pouring through the documents, reading up on the resort, and making a mental checklist of what Lillian had instructed her to do. A lot of information was missing. Things like guest demographics and yearly revenue, which Jeremiah promised to send through, never arrived. Lena sighed. She would have her work cut out for her if it turned out that Jeremiah was an irresponsible and unorganized owner. The flight was mercifully calm with little turbulence, and before she knew it, she was grasping the seat once more as the jet started its descent to land at Vancouver International.

The short walk from the tarmac to the airport itself had Lena chilled to the bone. She had worn one of her favorite coats, black with a dramatic fur collar, thinking it would be adequate. It wasn’t. She shivered in her boots as she stood in a small hanger where she was directed to wait while the helicopter pilot did his necessary checks. She fished her phone out of her handbag with shaky hands and texted Sam like she asked, notifying her that the first leg of her journey was behind her. Before she locked her phone, she decided to ring the resort to notify them that she would be there soon. Loud static noises assaulted her once the call connected.

“Hello?” Lena pressed a hand to her ear to try and hear something. “It’s Lena Luthor from Luthor Corp.”

“ _Snow Val-....help you?_ ” The distorted voice of a man greeted her.

Lena walked out of the hangar, hoping it would improve the reception. “It’s Lena Luthor. I work for Luthor Corp!” she repeated in a raised voice. The line was silent other than the static noise. “I’m just calling to say I should be landing soon!”

The response was too jumbled for Lena to make out a single word.

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that? Our connection is terrible.”

Behind her, the helicopter blades spun to life and Lena sighed with defeat as she ended the call. She just hoped that Jeremiah would remember to send someone to their local airport to pick her up at the prearranged time.

The helicopter ride turned out to be exponentially worse than the airplane ride. No sooner had Lena placed the headphones on her head and buckled herself in, when the pilot lifted off at an alarming speed. She suppressed a squeak as her hands flew up against the side of the helicopter, searching for something to hold onto. The pilot had the gall to turn to her and say, “Should be a smooth flight, Miss Luthor,” as he pushed them to the right altitude. All Lena could do was nod as she watched the world below them shrink. The amount of discomfort she felt was alarming. The occasional plane ride she could still handle. Barely. But a helicopter ride was something else entirely. Of course, she had the bright idea of googling how many helicopter crashes were reported each year in the US. The number was well over a hundred, and with a racing heart, she kept wondering if she would add to that number. The helicopter was gliding along smoothly, but in her mind she pictured some type of malfunction, a mechanical error that would send them plummeting towards the ground in a plume of smoke and beeping noises.

The pilot must have noticed her discomfort as he kept glancing at her. The fact that he was taking his eyes off the controls did nothing to ease her anxiety. She swallowed thickly and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the way her body temperature and heart rate rose. The helicopter was too hot, too small, and much too high off the ground. A panic attack was threatening to overtake her, so she tried to push away the sound of the helicopter’s engine and blades and focussed sorely on her breathing. She took great care with each inhale and exhale, making sure she didn't do it too fast.

By the time the Helicopter landed at the small national airport, Lena had no idea how much time had passed. The pilot jumped out and opened her door for her with a sympathetic smile. She followed the man on unsteady legs as he carried her luggage and led them to one of the small buildings on the property. Once the man was back in the helicopter, Lena was at a bit of a loss for what to do next. The airport was tiny, sporting one empty hanger and a small building. There were no people around and only one car stood parked next to the building. There were no signs and just as little cell reception. She walked up to the door of the building only to find it locked shut. Frustrated, she shook the handle, resisting the urge to kick the door. It was cold, and the sky was starting to darken.

“The office closes at five.”

Lena nearly jumped out of her skin when a man appeared from the back of the building carrying a shovel. _Oh god_ , she thought. Was she about to be murdered by a shovel wielding stranger? She glanced at her watch. 5:15 PM. Her lift was late.

“Can I help you?” The man pressed as he came to a standstill next to Lena.

“I’m waiting for someone from Snow Valley Lodge to pick me up.”

The man’s eyes lit up. “Okay. Just shout if you need anything.” He walked a few feet away, plugged earphones into his phone, and started shoveling snow into little heaps, his shovel scraping over the ground with each scoop.

Lena stood unmoving next to her suitcases as she waited. She rubbed her hands together and checked her watch. She hated waiting, and with every passing second, she became more agitated. To top it all off, it was even colder here than it was in Vancouver. She alternated between rubbing her glove clad hands together and wrapping her arms around her waist as she tried to stay warm. Suddenly the rev of an engine could be heard in the distance and a black Range Rover rounded the corner with squealing tires. The driver sped up as he barreled down towards the building. As it passed Lena, the car went through a small puddle that she didn't notice before, successfully splashing the bottom of her coat and her stocking-clad legs with sludge. Lena jumped backward with a gasp, but it was too late. The icy water soaked through her stockings and her coat was covered in mud. She immediately tried to brush the substance of her coat as she watched the driver’s side of the car open. She straightened up, ready to give the driver a piece of her mind. The driver jumped out of the car, slammed the door shut, and jogged past Lena, ignoring her completely.

“Hey!”

At the sound of Lena’s voice, the driver skidded to a stop before turning to face her. She was taken aback when she realized it was a woman. Clear blue eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses grew wide as they looked Lena up and down. The woman's cheeks pinked as she reached up to her face to push her glasses up her nose. She seemed beautiful from the little Lena could see from under all her layers. The woman was wearing dark blue jeans and snow boots, with a red plaid coat and a black beanie. Tresses of blonde hair poured out from beneath her beanie and rested in front of her shoulders. She _was_ beautiful, and somehow looked familiar, but that didn't dampen Lena's annoyance.

The woman, for her part, seemed genuinely shocked.

“Oh, my! Did I do that?” she sputtered as she took a step forward. “I am so, so sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’m soaked,” Lena said as she continued to pat down her coat.

“I’m sorry,” the woman repeated as she reached out towards Lena’s coat.

Lena swatted her hand away. “I can do it.” The woman took a step back and bit her lip. “Do you always drive like that?”

“Like what?”

“Splashing into puddles and soaking people?”

“Well, I didn’t see it. And besides, you probably shouldn't stand too close to potholes, ya know.” The woman smiled and gestured towards the puddle.

Lena scowled. “Oh, so now it's my fault?”

The woman’s smile faltered. “No, I didn't say that, and I also did just apologize.”

Lena turned away from her and brushed the remaining mud off her coat and laptop bag. Behind her, she heard the rattling of the doorknob and something that sounded suspiciously like a slap to the door. Apparently, the woman was just as frustrated with the closed office. “Darnit,” she heard the woman whisper. Lena felt the beginning of rain as small, barely-there raindrops landed on her face.

“Excuse me,” she asked the man who was still shoveling snow a few feet away. ”Is there any way to contact Snow Valley Lodge? I tried to call them earlier, but their signal was terrible.”

The man removed his earphones and pointed towards the office. “Oh uh, she’s from Snow Valley.”

The woman’s eyebrows rose as Lena turned. “You’re from Luthor Corp?”

“Yes.”

A silence followed, and Lena raised an eyebrow. “Are you here to pick me up or not?”

“Uh, yeah. Is that all your luggage?”

Lena nodded and watched as the woman picked up both her suitcases with little effort, swinging them over her shoulder as she headed to the trunk of the car.

“Careful,“ Lena warned, but it was too late. The woman unceremoniously threw one of her suitcases into the trunk before leaning around the corner of the car to address Lena.

“You can get in if you’d like.”

Lena took one step off the sidewalk and almost lost her balance as she slipped on the sludgy mess at her feet. Her heeled boots, stylish as they were, were not compatible with this kind of weather. After regaining her balance, she stood stock still, not wanting to risk falling on her ass in front of a stranger.

“Let me get that for you,” the woman murmured sardonically as she pulled the backseat door open and waved for Lena to enter the car as if she were royalty. Lena resisted the urge to roll her eyes and replied with a stiff thank you as she slipped into the car.

As the woman got into the driver’s seat, they briefly made eye contact in the rearview mirror. Suddenly Lena knew why the woman looked so familiar. “Are you Kara Danvers, Jeremiah Danvers’ daughter? Or are you Alex?”

“I’m Kara.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Kara turned in her seat and shrugged. “You didn't ask.”

“I’m Lena Luthor.”

“Lillian Luthor’s daughter?”

“The one and only.”

Kara chuckled humorlessly under her breath and muttered, “That figures.”

Before Lena could ask what she meant by that, the car purred to life. The deafening notes of an overplayed Christmas song that she didn’t know the name of, blared through the speakers as they pulled away.

Lena had a feeling that it was going to be a long seven days.


	2. II

The drive down, or rather _up_ to Snow Valley Lodge, took longer than Lena would have liked. Already weary from more than half a day’s traveling and a near panic attack, she rested her head back against the car seat and pinched the bridge of her nose. A headache was brewing behind her lids, and the insistent cold temperature that followed them into the SUV did nothing to help the matter. Lena wanted to ask her companion to turn on the heating but decided against it. Behind the wheel, Kara seemed unbothered by the cold. She had shed her beanie and unzipped her jacket once they pulled away from the little airport and spent the full duration of their drive humming along to the never-ending array of Christmas hits that played through the car’s speakers. They exchanged no further conversation for the remainder of the trip, but even with her eyes shut, Lena had a feeling that Kara was sneaking glances at her in the rearview mirror. Her suspicions were confirmed when, after she started rubbing small circles on her temples, the music was suddenly lowered to a more acceptable volume. 

Lena managed to doze off briefly towards the end of their trip. The combination of the winding mountain road, the soft patter of the rain against the windows, and the gentle notes of one or another Christmas hymn lulled her into a slumber that was broken only when the Range Rover finally came to a stop. Her head jerked up and for one confused moment, she was unsure of where she was. That was until she met blue eyes in the rearview mirror once again.

“We’re here,” Kara announced before she unbuckled herself and got out of the car. If she noticed that Lena had fallen asleep, she chose not to mention it, and Lena was grateful for that fact.

The first thing that Lena noticed when she blindly pushed the car door open was the cold. The icy air hit her immediately, biting at the exposed skin of her neck and face, successfully eradicating any leftover traces of exhaustion from her system. The second thing, the most obvious thing, and something that she probably should have noticed before she even exited the car, was that the sun had fully set. It was dark out, or rather it should have been. As Lena shut the door, the reflection in the window had her raising her eyebrows in shock. She turned around to make sure that sleep deprivation didn’t have her seeing things and felt her jaw slacken at the sight.

Every available space on the lodge before her was illuminated and blinking with Christmas lights by the thousands. Warm white rope lights lined the rakes of the roof and the spaces below the gutter. Similar rope lights, as well as garlands, were twisted like vines around the pillars that stood underneath the porch roof. Dangling fairy lights were flickering periodically below the windows, and massive wreaths decorated in red ribbons and pinecones occupied the spaces between each window. Further away in front of the lodge stood three pine trees. The two smaller ones were adorned with their own mass of glittering lights, while the middle, much larger one was unlit. Lena was grateful that Kara had parked the car a little distance away from the entrance because the sheer amount of lighting was almost blinding.

“Do you always put up this many Christmas decorations?” Lena called out as she looked over to the trunk of the car. 

Even though the tarred driveway was clear of snow, with most of it shoveled into piles underneath the pine trees and towards the edges of the porch, Lena was still wary of the slippery ground. She held her hand against the car as she rounded it, taking careful steps. The trunk slammed shut with a thud as she reached it.

“At Christmas, yes.” Kara had already hauled the suitcases out of the trunk and started walking towards the cabin without any further words.

Lena followed behind at a slower pace, tugging her jacket tighter around her waist. As she reached the porch, she spotted more decorations that she hadn't noticed before. Two garish inflatable Christmas characters stood next to a window. The decorations, one a rather creepy looking snowman and the other a waving penguin with a matching green scarf and beanie, came up to just past Lena’s middle. She paused once she reached them, wondering just why any sane person would spend money on such things.

The purposeful clearing of a throat broke Lena’s thoughts. Kara was standing next to the open front door, still holding a suitcase in each arm. It was clear that she was waiting for Lena as she shifted on her feet. Biting her tongue, Lena walked past Kara and into what felt like absolute heaven. 

The moment she set foot into the cabin, she was engulfed in a cozy warmth that seemed to envelop her entire body. She breathed a tiny sigh of relief as she felt her taut muscles relax into the warmth. Stepping deeper into the foyer, Lena heard the crackling of wood in a nearby hearth which she suspected to be the source of the warmth. She unbuttoned her coat and peeled off her gloves as Kara shuffled in behind her, kicking the door shut with her foot.

Kara walked past Lena and dropped her luggage down in the foyer next to an overflowing shoe rack and then continued out into the main living area where two people were standing in front of the fireplace with their backs towards them. The fireplace was blazing and a plush carpet lay on the floor. A large wooden coffee table stood before it, and around it were well-worn couches in different styles and colors with blankets draped over them. Lena followed behind Kara as she took in the rest of her surroundings. 

Wood was unsurprisingly an overwhelming feature. The logs from outside continued as the interior walls, and the floor was covered in dark rustic hardwood. The walls were adorned with shelves full of books and nicknacks, and things like wooden skis and snow boots hung on the walls. Christmas decorations were oozing out of the place with a giant Christmas tree standing in the corner. All around it the floor was littered with wrapped gifts and a few feet away an upright piano was just begging to be played.

“Jeremiah, this is Lena Luthor, Lillian Luthor’s daughter,“ Kara said gruffly as she gestured back towards Lena.

The man spun around and both he and the woman walked around the couches to meet Lena. “Oh, Lena! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was you coming!” Jeremiah seemed surprised, but he eagerly grabbed Lena’s outstretched hand with both of his large ones and shook it warmly. “A Merry Christmas to you!”

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

Jeremiah turned to the blonde woman beside him. “This is my wife, Eliza.”

“Merry Christmas.” Eliza’s voice was warm and quiet as she stepped forward with a smile. Before Lena realized what was happening, Eliza opened her arms and enveloped Lena in a hug. She froze as the woman rubbed her back, and by the time Lena’s brain caught up, Eliza stepped back and said, ‘Welcome.”

“Merry Christmas,” Lena responded automatically, fiddling with the gloves in her hands. “It certainly is a lovely place.”

Jeremiah beamed and slung his arm over Eliza’s shoulders, pulling her close. “See why your mother bought it?”

“The Jones are gonna be here any minute and I still need to check their cabin. Can you please show Miss Luthor to her room?” Kara spoke abruptly and didn’t wait for a response from Jeremiah before stalking off and disappearing into an adjoining room. 

A slightly awkward silence lingered as Jeremiah’s eyes followed Kara as she walked away, his earlier smile disappearing. Ignoring the scene before her. Lena eyed her bags, wondering where this room of hers was going to be. She was dead on her feet. 

“You must be hungry, can I get you something to eat?” Eliza asked, gesturing to the room behind them where a few guests were sitting around a large dining table.

“Oh, no thank you, I ate on the plane.” Lena did have a small salad on the plane, not wanting to risk anything heavier while she was up in the air.

Eliza tsked, “That’s not proper food! At least try one of my pastries.” She moved toward the coffee table, scooped up a plate that Lena hadn’t noticed earlier, and held it towards her. “They’re from Iceland, I baked them this morning.” Jeremiah hummed as he eyed the plate of pastries in his wife’s hands, seemingly debating whether he should have one are not. 

Lena held up her hands in protest. “No, thank you. Really” It came out a bit harsher than intended and Eliza seemed taken aback as she pulled the tray away. “It’s just that I’ve had a really long trip and I’m rather tired,” she clarified.

Eliza’s smile reappeared as she swatted her husband’s hand away from the plate and placed it back on the table. “Of course. I’m sure you’d like to freshen up. We have a lovely room for you here in the lodge.”

Jeremiah nodded eagerly. “That way you’ll be close to all the traditional Christmas festivities.”

“Thank you, but I need to get straight to work.” Lena checked her watch. 7:25pm. If she started now, she could make good headway on the introduction for her report. “Although, I do need one thing from you. I couldn't find any information about your client demographics. I don’t think our office ever received it.” 

“Client demographics?” Jeremiah repeated as he furrowed his eyebrows before looking at Eliza, who seemed equally lost.

“Your guests,” Lena simplified, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. “What are their ages? Are they couples, singles? That kind of thing.”

“Oh, they’re all ages,” Eliza supplied with a chuckle. “Eight months to eighty years.”

“And almost all families,” Jeremiah added. “Of course they register when they book in, but we don’t keep any detailed records. We know almost everybody who stays here.”

Lena bit her lip. So an unorganized owner, after all.

“I guess we could go back through the records and figure it out.”

“That would be a big help. Thank you.” Lena shifted her weight from one leg to the other and glanced at her suitcases again. The day was catching up to her. Perhaps the report could wait until the next morning after all.

“Oh, let me show you to your room. Right this way.”

* * *

The upstairs room that Jeremiah led Lena to was enough to take her breath away. It was nothing like any hotel room she was accustomed to, and yet somehow she didn't hate it. Surprisingly, she thought the moment Jeremiah closed the door behind him on his way out, she quite liked it. The first thing she noticed was the large wooden four-poster bed standing in the middle of the room. A predictable Christmas themed quilt was thrown over it, and Lena had to resist the urge to plop herself down on the bed and sleep for the next twelve hours. Matching side tables stood on either side of the bed and a chest of drawers, all in matching light-colored wood. A stone fireplace was built into the corner of the room and inside it, a fire was already lit, the wood cracking and popping. 

Lena plopped herself down on the low couch near the fire and dropped her head into her hands. The coziness of the room did nothing but feed her exhaustion, but she was resolute on at least getting some work done. She grabbed her phone to reassure Sam that she had made it up the mountain in one piece and promised to call her in the morning. Next, she grabbed her laptop bag and pulled the coffee table closer to the couch to create a makeshift desk. While she waited for her laptop to power on, she unzipped her suitcases and deposited her clothes into the chest of drawers. As she placed her dresses and skirts away, she realized that she might have underestimated the weather. She had packed a couple of pairs of slacks too, but she knew now that they wouldn’t be up to the task of keeping her warm in the Canadian cold. Suppressing a yawn, Lena sank back into the couch and pulled her laptop closer. She was just about to open the necessary documents when a soft knock came from outside the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened slowly, revealing a smiling Eliza. She stepped into the room carrying a tray in her hands.

“I hazarded a guess that you’re a salad girl, so I whipped this up for you.” Eliza placed the tray down next to the laptop. Lena spotted walnuts and feta, amongst other things atop fresh lettuce and her stomach rumbled at the sight. “I added some cranberries to make it a little more Christmas-y.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Danvers.” Lena smiled. “You didn't have to, but I appreciate it.”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Eliza waved her off. “Couldn't have you running on plane food. And please, call me Eliza.”

Lena nodded. “Thank you again, Eliza.” She watched as Eliza walked towards the door and then hesitated as she placed her hand on the doorknob. Instead of slipping out of the room, she shut the door softly and walked back towards Lena. She rubbed her hands down the side of her pants before speaking. 

“We… We haven't told any of our guests yet about us leaving. We didn’t want to upset their Christmas.”

Lena regarded Eliza for a long moment before answering. She knew what the woman was asking, but the whole reason she was here was to take stock, so to speak, of what they had. That included taking photos and asking questions. People were bound to notice something was up, but still, Lena found herself making a promise. “I won’t say anything.”

Eliza breathed a tiny sigh of relief. “Thank you. I know that nothing will change, and I don’t want to sound vain, but for a lot of families it won't be the same without us here.”

“I understand,” Lena got out through the dryness in her throat. Were the Danvers under the impression that Snow Valley Lodge was going to stay as is? That was just the type of promise Lillian would make, with absolutely no intention of keeping it.

Eliza thanked Lena once more and bid her a good evening before exiting the room. Lena closed her laptop and spent a long time chewing over her salad and Eliza’s words. It wasn’t a given that Lilian would demolish the place, but it was like Sam had said: Nine times out of ten, Lillian did just that. Not telling the Danvers that before sealing the deal was cruel, but then again Lena supposed it was all in the name of business. She just hoped that she didn't end up being the one that would have to break that news to them. 

The sound of keys being pressed on a piano brought her out of her thoughts. Downstairs the guests all joined in together for a rendition of ‘We Wish you a Merry Christmas’, led by the slightly out of time piano. Lena groaned. The amount of Christmas hits she had to endure on the way to the lodge was enough to last her a lifetime. Kara seemed to have a never-ending supply of the damned things on her playlist. 

Kara.

The woman didn’t seem overjoyed to meet the representative for Luthor Corp, even more so when she realized who Lena was. That type of reaction was something that she had grown accustomed to in the year since Lex’s imprisonment, but sometimes it still hurt. Not that it hurt this time. It didn’t matter, but Lena had hoped that the people of Snow Valley wouldn’t immediately associate her surname with the death of thousands of people. It didn’t matter, she repeated to herself as she finally turned back to her laptop. Business was business and she didn’t need anyone to like her. She had a job to do- and do it she would. Opening a new PowerPoint document, Lena typed: Luthor’s Snow Valley. Starting fresh from the ground up.

* * *

When Lena’s alarm went off at 8 am, she felt surprisingly refreshed. The bed turned out to be even comfier than it looked, and within minutes of laying her head down on the pillow, Lena fell into a dreamless slumber. She yawned and wiped the sleep out of her eyes before grabbing her phone to peruse the news headlines like she did most mornings. That would not happen today, she realized, as her browser tab refused to load. She didn't have any reception from the bed and her google app stayed frozen on a blank page before announcing “something went wrong”. She knew she had some reception the night before. Her messages to Sam went through, after all, so she pushed the heavy duvet away and got up in search of a better connection closer to the couch. She regretted it immediately. With the fire long burned out, the bedroom was cold, and the hardwood floor beneath her feet felt like ice, even through the fluffy socks she wore to bed. She shuffled over to the couch and grabbed the blanket from the back of it as she went, throwing it over her shoulders. There, mercifully, her phone picked up one bar, and she sighed a breath of relief, which formed a tiny cloud of smoke in the cold air. As the tab slowly loaded, Lena darted over to her laptop bag and pulled out her state-of-the-art tablet. The tablet wasn't very large, barely bigger than a mobile phone. The voice of a robotic woman greeted her as she unlocked the tablet. 

“Good morning, Miss Luthor.”

“Morning Hope.” 

Hope was Lena’s little side project and one of the main things she worked on when she was hiding away in her lab. Currently, Hope operated as an extension to her tablet, much like a virtual assistant on steroids. Lena’s long-term plan was to expand Hope to be a fully-fledged A.I that, if all went to plan, would be able to operate faster than any current machine on the market, run multiple programs simultaneously, and solve even the most difficult calculations without a hitch. That was a long way away, and she needed more time and funding (and Lillian’s blessing) to make such a dream a reality. For now, Hope would suit her needs just fine. 

“Memo for the report; get a decent cell phone reeling near the lodge. And Wi-Fi.”

“Noted, Miss Luthor. Will there be anything else?”

“No, that’s all for now.” 

Lena spent the next 30 minutes scrolling through the news and answering the odd email. She noticed an email from Lillian marked as important, and she purposefully left it for last. She skimmed over it, catching the idea of the email easily. Lillian wanted to know if Lena had taken a tour of the property yet. She expected photos. She typed a quick response, reminding her mother that she only got in the night before.

Deciding that she should probably start her day if she wanted to see everything by noon, Lena untangled herself from the couch and headed to the small ensuite. The previous evening, after she gave up on working because of the never-ending singing downstairs, Lena was surprised to learn that her room was connected to a small bathroom containing a shower lined out with similar stones as the fireplace, a toilet, and a sink. It was tiny, but Lena was grateful that she didn’t need to leave her room to take a shower. Stripping out of her fluffy winter pajamas to get into the shower proved a challenge, and once she was under the soothing hot stream of water, it was just as challenging to step out of it again. Eventually, Lena was dressed in her thickest pair of stockings, black skirt, red blouse, and matching black blazer. She left her coat in her room, hoping that the downstairs area would be as toasty as the night before. 

She headed to the large wooden stairs with the idea of finding Eliza to organize some type of tour as Lillian had requested. As she descended the staircase, the bubbling sound of laughter and chatter hit her ears along with the smell of food. Breakfast, Lena realized as she came to the foot of the stairs, was served in a buffet style. A long table was set up in the dining area, and guests were happily scooping platefuls before retreating to the available tables. As she neared the table her eyes landed on a notice board standing next to with big bold letters reading “TODAY’S EVENTS” Directly below stood “5 days to Christmas!” The rest of the notice board went over the activities for the day, which apparently included a happy hour at 5:30 pm and something called the Feast of Saint Thomas. 

Lena directed her attention to the table in front of her next. Mountains of food covered the surface, and she found the wide variety confusing. The breakfast staples like bacon, eggs, fried tomatoes, mushrooms, and pancakes were in overflow. There was freshly made oatmeal, containers filled with Lucky Charms, Cheerios, and other breakfast cereal that Lena didn’t recognize. An array of freshly sliced fruit, yogurt, and granola stood towards the side. But then there were other dishes that she didn't recognize, and by the looks of things they didn't belong on a breakfast table. Was that a breakfast pizza?

"You’re new here, aren’t you?” A voice started Lena, and she glanced over her shoulder to see a young woman in her early twenties with long brown hair smiling at her. The woman stepped forward with an outstretched hand. “I’m Nia.”

“Lena.”

“It’s my boyfriend’s first time here too,” Nia turned and waved at a young man sitting at a table and waited for him to awkwardly wave back. "My family comes here every year for Christmas.”

Lena just nodded and glanced back at the table, hoping to distance herself from the unwelcome conversation. 

“Are you here with your family too?” Nia asked as she stepped forward to pour a generous amount of chocolate cereal into her bowl.

“No, it’s just me.”

“You need to try Christmas oatmeal from Finland.” Nia continued as she filled her bowl to the brim with milk. “It’s got lingonberries in them. It’s really good. That and the Cinnamon Christmas bread.” Nia grabbed a spoon and plopped it into her almost overflowing bowl before walking off to the table she pointed at earlier and handing the bowl over to the young man who dug into it immediately.

“Or you can try the breakfast pizza. It’s my mother’s specialty.” Another unfamiliar voice spoke closer to Lena than expected. She was so caught up in observing Nia on her way back to her boyfriend, that she hadn’t noticed yet another person walk up beside her. This woman had short red hair, with intense hazel eyes, but unlike Nia, she wasn’t smiling. Her expression remained neutral as she grasped the cup of coffee in one hand before extending the other. “Alex Danvers.”

Alex’s grip was strong and sure, and Lena straightened her back as she returned the handshake with equal vigor. “Lena Luthor.”

“I know who you are,” Alex replied. “I’m glad to finally meet the people who will be taking over this place.” 

Alex’s tone wasn’t exactly unkind, but nothing in her voice sounded like she was glad. A silence fell over them while Alex continued to stir her drink without breaking eye contact with Lena, the spoon occasionally clinking on the sides of the cup. Were both of the Danvers sisters just plain grumpy? It certainly wasn’t a family trait, seeing that Eliza was overly warm. Lena realized it probably had something to do with her last name. 

Lena cleared her throat. “I was hoping to get a tour of the property. Would you be willing to…” she trailed off as Alex narrowed her eyes.

“I'm afraid not.” Alex gestured towards the logo on her jacket that Lena hadn’t noticed. A white mountain with the silhouette of a deer in front of it. Lena let her eyes fit over the rest of Alex’s outfit. She was wearing olive khaki pants that matched her thick jacket as well as rugged boots. “Park Ranger,” Alex clarified as she took in Lena’s frown.

“I thought you worked here at the lodge?” 

“Not full time.”

Another silence settled over them. Alex checked her watch before looking around the room. “I should get going. If you need a tour, speak to my sister.”

Lena followed Alex’s gaze to where Kara was standing at one of the smaller tables, chatting to one of the families. Kara high-fived the small child at the table with a smile before she looked up and made eye contact with Lena. She froze and her smile faltered. Beside her, Lena was aware that Alex was gesturing for Kara to come over to them. Kara ruffled the young boy's hair and reluctantly walked away from the table and headed over to Alex.

“Give her a tour, will you,” Alex said as she placed her now empty cup down and started to zip up her jacket. 

“I was-”

“Please, Kara.” Alex’s voice took a softer tone as she placed a hand on Kara’s shoulder. 

The sisters shared a look that Lena couldn’t decipher. It felt private, so she dropped her gaze, wondering why Kara was so reluctant. Alex said something in a low voice that Lena couldn’t make out. When she dared to look up again, Alex was gone. Kara stood with her hands shoved in the front pockets of her jeans, observing Lena with a curious look before saying, 

“So, I hear you need a tour, Miss Luthor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! My tumblr is [here](https://saturn-silk.tumblr.com/) if you wanna follow me


	3. III

“So, I hear you need a tour, Miss Luthor.”

Lena hesitated for a second taking in Kara’s small smile and sudden behavior change but recovered quickly. She pulled her tablet out of the pocket of her blazer and opened the app in which she compiled her to-do list for the day with the assistance of Hope. She scrolled down until she found what she was looking for.

“Yes. Today I need to see the cross-country ski trails, the snowshoeing trails, the sledding run, the ice skating, and the ice fishing. So if we do all that on a snowmobile can we finish by lunch?” 

Kara seemed slightly amused when Lena looked up from her tablet. “No,” she said with a shake of her head.

Lena quirked her eyebrow. “Well, how long is it going to take?”

“More than half a day that's for sure." 

Lena's face fell. That meant prolonged time in the _outside_. Which meant snow, which meant cold. “Surely you have a snowmobile. I can’t see why it can’t take more than a couple of hours,” she tried again.

Kara sighed and brought a hand up to scratch the back of her neck. “I’ll see what I can do.” She squared her shoulders and walked off to where Lena assumed the kitchen was.

Pocketing her tablet again, Lena decided that she could just as well eat while she waited for Kara’s return. She dished a small portion of yogurt and fresh fruit, fixed a cup of black coffee, and settled herself at one of the smaller unoccupied tables a few feet away from the main dining table. Eliza spotted her fairly quickly and wiped her hands on her apron before making her way over to Lena’s table. She enquired whether Lena’s room was in order and if she slept well. Lena assured her that nothing was out of place. Upon seeing Lena’s choice for breakfast, Eliza tried to convince her to try the oatmeal as well. She was in the middle of explaining why the lingonberries made it so special when a raised voice echoed from the direction Kara disappeared in. Eliza froze but recovered quickly with a forced smile. Another raised voice followed, and although Lena couldn’t make out what they were saying, she was certain that it was Kara’s.

“Will you excuse me for a moment?”

Eliza hurried toward the passage just in time to almost collide with a flustered Kara. Her cheeks were pink and she hastily moved past Eliza towards the front door where she shrugged her jacket on, battling to get her arms through the sleeves. Eliza followed and placed a hand on Kara’s shoulder to still her movements. They were too far away for Lena to hear what they were saying, but Eliza’s attempts at calming Kara seemed to work. Kara nodded, pushed her glasses up her nose, and proceeded to zip her jacket up slowly. She looked across the room suddenly and made eye contact with Lena almost immediately. Lena’s cheeks heated at the idea of being caught staring, but then Kara was out of the door and Eliza was making her way back to Lena’s table. 

“Kara wanted me to tell you to sit tight. She’s just sorting out the… logistics for your tour.” Eliza didn't make any further small talk and disappeared in the direction that Kara came from.

Lena spent the next half an hour eating her breakfast as she observed the guests. The place was packed, and Lena realized that Eliza’s comment about the ages of their guests was warranted. The young boy with the dark hair that Kara chatted with earlier seemed to have a baby sibling, a girl by the looks of the pink blanket she was swaddled in. Then there was an elderly gentleman, dressed in a suit, happily chatting with a younger man and woman. Everywhere Lena looked she saw families. Even Nia’s family joined her and her boyfriend. Lena was the only person sitting alone. She contently sipped at her coffee as she watched the guests until something yellow caught her peripheral view. Lena turned her head to see Kara standing next to her table with a large bundle of material in her arms.

“What is all this?”

Kara shifted on her feet and mumbled, “You won’t like it, I’m sure.” Something escaped from the bundle and fell to the floor. Kara bent awkwardly to try to pick it up, but failed, almost dropping something else in the process.

With a sigh, Lena reached to the floor to pick up a black, bulky waterproof glove. Her heart sank as she looked up at Kara who had the decency to look apologetic before announcing,

“We’re going skiing.”

* * *

“I do not ski.” Lena had repeated the phrase more times than she could count the last 30 minutes. First to Kara, when the blonde shoved the bundle of clothing into her arms and explained the plan for the rest of the day, and then multiple times to herself as she got dressed in the ridiculous ski gear that Kara had acquired somewhere. Now, standing in between trees surrounded by snow, Lena felt the urge to say it one more time, just to be clear.

“Well, it’s cross-country,” came Kara’s voice from below. She was resting on her haunches as she clicked Lena’s boot onto the ski. “so it’s a little different.”

“That means nothing to me,” Lena huffed. 

She felt absurd and she knew she looked it too. The mustard-colored ski jacket that Kara provided was too big, prompting Lena to try and roll it up, but to no avail. The padding was in the way, and Lena gave up, making peace with the fact that only her fingers were visible from underneath the sleeves. The gloves that kept her fingers and hands warm mercifully fit, but the black pants were baggy and uncomfortable. She felt like a stuffed bumblebee. 

“It’s the only way that you’re going to be able to see all the ski trails.” Kara straightened up, looking in her element in her form-fitting red ski jacket and black pants. “And it’s easy. You can walk right?”

“Not on skis.”

“It’s kinda like the same thing. Here.” Kara passed Lena a pair of ski poles before picking up her own and easily slotting the toes of her boots into her skis.

“My blood is starting to freeze,” Lena sulked as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

“You’ll warm up once we get going.”

“If I move, I’ll fall.”

Kara glanced over at Lena. “Then go back to the lodge. You wanted a tour, and this is the fastest, most efficient way for you to see everything.” There was a bite to her tone, and Lena cast her eyes down at the snow. 

She strongly contemplated throwing her poles down and stalking back towards the lodge. Screw Lillian and her pictures. Lena was positive she could find pictures of the ski trails on social media and send them to her mother. But, then again, Lena was never one to things halfway. The silence stretched and Kara let out a sigh as she dug her ski pole into the snow.

“Okay,“ Lena said finally without looking up. “Could you demonstrate? Perhaps that would help.”

“Alright, watch me then.” Kara smiled slightly as Lena met her eyes. She gripped her ski poles and shook the snow off her skis before pushing herself forward. “See how I’m lifting my heels? It’s kinda like moonwalking, except you're going forward.” She glanced back to make sure Lena was watching before continuing. “And if you wanna stop, what you wanna do is bring you ski tips together, like a wedge shape. Or like a piece of pizza!” Kara did just that and came to an easy stop. “Make sure you have equal pressure on both legs and then just push out.”

Lena watched with great focus. It seemed easy in theory, but Lena wasn’t very athletic, she never was, and she had the foreboding feeling that she was going to land on her ass the moment she tried to imitate any of Kara’s movements. 

“Give it a try.”

Lena gripped her ski poles tightly and took a deep breath before lifting her heel as Kara instructed. She tried to propel herself forward and the next thing she knew she was flat on her ass. A self-fulfilling prophecy after all. Even though her pants were waterproof, the coldness still seeped through it immediately. 

Kara chuckled softly before unclipping herself from her skis and walking towards Lena. “You okay?”

“Yes. I told you I can’t do this.” Lena tried and failed to lift herself off the snow, but her skis slid out underneath her, causing her to fall back onto her ass.

“Here, let me.” Suddenly two firm hands were underneath Lena’s armpits as Kara hoisted her up. She bent down, grabbed Lena’s lower calves, and repositioned her legs. “Spread your legs more, like so.” The skis threatened to slip from under Lena once more, but Kara’s hands were on Lena’s waist in a flash. “Keep the skis parallel, straighten them out. Don’t worry, I’ll hold you.”

“Okay,” Lena replied weakly, aware that Kara’s front was pushed into her back. 

“Let’s try something different. Don’t put one leg in front of the other, keep them together. Both poles like so.” Kara placed her gloved hands on top of Lena’s and repositioned the ski poles in the snow. “All you gotta do is just push. Okay?”

Lena nodded and did as she was told. With some force, her skis started to glide across the snow, but the bottom half of her body moved forward faster than the top half. She was sure she was going to hit the ground again, but Kara’s hands immediately reached for her again, her glove-clad fingers brushing higher up against her ribs this time. 

“Keep your hips over your feet.” Kara pushed Lena from behind and walked after her, not letting up on her grip. “There you go, that's better!”

Lena was in fact moving forward. She lifted the poles out of the snow, before placing them back in and thrusting. She repeated the motion, pushing down harder. When one of the skis slid out before her, causing her to engage in a type of split, Lena knew she was going to fall again. She pushed her hips out in an attempt to regain her balance and bring her legs together, but toppled backward against Kara, causing them both to hit the snow with a thud. There was a moment of silence and Lena froze where she lay with her back on Kara’s lap, sure that she was going to receive a scolding, but then the woman let out an amused chuckle.

“Ouch,” Kara said as she laughed again. She got up from underneath Lena without a hitch and pulled her to her feet easily. 

Lena couldn’t help but giggle too. “I’m sorry,” she said as she turned her body and glanced at Kara. Her face was close, her eyes bright and her cheeks pink.

“That’s okay.”

Kara’s eyes crinkled around the corners as she smiled reassuringly. Lena was acutely aware of how close they were, Kara’s hands still on her waist, her face much closer than it needed to be. Lena felt trapped in Kara’s eyes, unable to look away. So _blue_ , she thought stupidly. _Blue, blue, blue_. Lena could feel Kara’s breath against her cheek, the hot vapor a stark contrast to the coldness of her skin. Only when Kara’s glasses started to fog up, did Lena snap out of her trance. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this.” She pulled away from Kara’s grip, and the blonde dropped her hands immediately. “I need a snowmobile. In three months my mother is going to have as many snowmobiles here as she wants.”

“And in three months Jeremiah isn’t going to be here, so he won't care. Right now, he’s still in charge, so.” Kara shrugged.

Giggles erupted before Lena could retort as two kids came down the slight hill behind them, their skis crunching over the snow.

“Looking good, Tommy!” Kara called as one of the boys came flying past them. The boy waved at them before disappearing. “See if the little kids can do it, so can you.” Kara stepped away from Lena. “Come on, try it again.” 

Lena resisted the urge to glare at Kara. One last attempt, she told herself as she set her jaw. She spread her legs, making sure to keep the skis parallel and apply equal pressure. She stabbed the poles into the snow with more force than necessary and pushed forward. She started moving, slowly at first, barely a couple of inches, but moving nonetheless. She repeated the action and started moving a bit further without losing her balance. 

“All right, now we're cooking!” Kara called from behind her, slipping back onto her own skis. “Keep going.”

Gaining more confidence, Lena lifted her heels as Kara instructed earlier. She was wobbly and it felt like she would hit the ground at any moment, but she ground her teeth and concentrated on staying upright, her eyes locked on her skis. “I’m doing it!” she called back to Kara.

“Yeah! Now watch out it’s downhill.”

Lena looked up and found that she was heading for a slight downhill slope. It wasn’t a steep slope, barely 10 degrees by Lena’s quick estimate, but she still felt her heart rate increase as she noticed she was heading straight for trees.

“Point your skis!” Kara called behind her. 

Lena tried, but she was picking up speed quickly, her skis gliding over the snow without her help and she couldn't steer herself away from the tree line

“Do the pizza thing!” Kara’s voice was higher than before. “Watch out for the tree. Oh, golly. Do the pizza thing!”

Lena heard herself scream as she neared the trees. She brought her knees together and pushed out at the last moment, coming to an abrupt stop and nearly avoiding colliding with a large trunk. Next to her, Kara came to a much more graceful stop. She was pale and worry was etched onto her face.

“Oh man, I thought I was going to kill you,” Kara let out a nervous titter. 

Lena raised an eyebrow as she brought a hand to her chest as she tried to catch her breath. “Are you laughing at me?” 

Kara’s breathy laughter died down immediately and she clumsily pushed her glasses up her nose with a gloved hand, her fingers accidentally connecting with the lenses. “No, I wasn’t. I promise.”

* * *

Lena was freezing. Again. Or still, depending on how you looked at it. She shed her ridiculous ski clothes the moment she was back in her room. She had parted ways with Kara after her unfortunate almost accident, with Kara announcing she had work to do. That suited Lena just fine. She wasn’t made for outdoor activities, and she felt slightly embarrassed about the failed ski attempt. Not long after, Eliza knocked on her door, offering to show her the ice skating. Now, standing in front of a frozen lake, it felt as if Lena’s muscles were actively deteriorating in the cold air. Her ski outfit was replaced by her outfit from earlier in the morning, with her fur-collared coat thrown over in a weak attempt to keep her warm. Her teeth threatened to chatter, but she clenched her jaw and tried to soak up as much heat as she could from a small portable contraption that was roasting chestnuts. The tiny grill, as well as a two-plate stove cooking _something_ , was set up on top of one of the wooden picnic tables that littered the shore of the lake. It was an impromptu lunch, Eliza had explained on their way to the lake. “Just something for the kids to enjoy while they skate,” she had said with a smile.

As it turned out, it wasn’t just kids. Adults, too, were gliding across the frozen surface of the lake. A group of girls were doing spins off to the side, their loose hair whipping around them. Lena spotted Nia holding the hand of her boyfriend as she gingerly tried to coax him further onto the ice. The scene reminded her of a postcard, the frozen lake stretching well into the distance with the snowy peaks of the mountains as its backdrop.

“Quite a view, isn’t it?” 

Lena glanced to her side to see a woman with a mischievous smile. She too was dressed in a park ranger uniform, with a large red beanie with earflaps covering most of her wavy dark hair.

“I’m Maggie,” she said as she unscrewed the lid of her thermos and started scooping in some of the red liquid that was boiling away in the pot. ”You must be Lena.” 

“The one and only,” Lena said as she rubbed her hands together. “News sure travels fast here.”

“I work with Alex,” Maggie explained, still filling her thermos. “She mentioned a woman who seemed ill-equipped for the weather, and I knew it had to be you.”

Lena frowned. Was she really that ill-equipped?

“Barszcz?” Maggie asked as she hesitated with the lid of the pot.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s the traditional Christmas soup in Poland,” Eliza answered as she walked up behind them.

“Does everything have to do with Christmas?” Lena wondered aloud as she watched Eliza dish some soup into a mug. 

Eliza nodded and answered simply, “At Christmas it does.”

Lena accepted the mug with a thank you, pressing her hands against it to absorb its warmth. ”So is this where all the guests swim in the summertime?”

“Yes, and where we launch the canoes for fishing.”

“And what’s that?” Lena pointed at a small wooden hut on the ice.

“That’s the ice fishing hut. There’s a deep pool where some of the best trout go in the winter.”

“How do you ice fish?”

“Well,” Maggie jumped in, “you drill a hole in the ice, drop a hook in it and you freeze your ass off, hoping that some poor idiot fish takes a bite.” The women laughed before Eliza walked off to distribute more soup.

Lena placed her mug down and pulled out her tablet to snap pictures of the lake and the hut, making sure to get all the ice skaters in as well. 

“So, how’d the skiing go?” Maggie asked after a brief silence. “Alex told me that too,” she clarified with a grin.

“Oh, it-it went.”

“Ah, you’ll get it. Kara taught all my cousins.”

“Kara’s the ski instructor?” Lena asked incredulously. 

“Well, yeah. She and Alex are usually the go-to guys for whatever Eliza doesn't cook and whatever Jeremiah can’t really do anymore. Kara does even more now that Alex works full time with me.” Maggie smiled fondly. 

A ringing noise broke the silence, and Maggie scrambled to answer her phone. “Hey, Alex. No, I'm _definitely_ not at the lake getting some of your mom’s soup.” Maggie held the phone away from her face and whispered to Lena, “Gotta go”. She took a big gulp of her thermos and waved at Eliza who was walking their way again. “No, I wasn’t talking to anyone.”

Eliza chuckled once she reached Lena again. “Those two are like Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Maggie’s gonna end up burning her mouth to get rid of the evidence before she reaches Alex.”

She stirred the soup while Lena scrolled through the photos she took. She wanted to ask why Alex wasn't working full time at the lodge, but thought against it. It had nothing to do with her. As she pocketed her tablet, a shiver went through her body and she hastily picked up her mug of soup again and pressed it against her cheek.

“Cold?” Eliza asked.

“You have no idea.”

Eliza gave Lena’s outfit a once over and frowned. “You need some proper winter clothes.”

Lena shook her head. “I’m only here for a few days.”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re only here for a few hours. You'll catch your death if you don’t dress right.” Eliza reached out to squeeze Lena’s arm. “I’ll get Kara to drive you to the store in Midvale.”

* * *

There was apparently no arguing with Eliza once she had her mind set on something. Not even ten minutes later she announced that Kara was just going to finish up with shoveling snow and then she would take Lena into town. Now, standing back at the lodge next to the Range Rover, Lena could tell that Kara wasn't exactly happy about either. She marched out of the lodge with her cheeks flushed and her jaw clenched, and for a moment she wondered if Kara had been involved in another argument. 

“Here you go,” she said as she reached Lena. “The guest demographics that you asked for.”

“Thank you, that was fast.”

Kara shrugged. “You can jump in so long. Would you mind sitting in front though? I need to take some wood into town.”

Lena complied and settled into the front seat while Kara maneuvered the backseat to lie flat. She scanned through the documents Kara handed to her with a frown. She turned in her seat to look at Kara who was effortlessly hauling logs of wood that were tied together with string into the trunk. 

“Almost all your guests are families. Singles don’t stay here?”

“Uh, not really. There’s a few in the summer, I guess.”

Lena nodded and paged over. She read in silence for a moment as Kara walked to and from the stack of wood against the cabin wall. 

“Is this a typo?”

Kara froze with a bunch of wood in her arms. “What?”

“It says that there’s a hundred percent occupancy from the middle of November till early January.”

Kara visibly relaxed and placed the bundle of wood into the trunk. “No, that’s not a typo. We’re usually fully booked from the first day of advent till the 12th night of Christmas. Sometimes even earlier.” Kara let out an almost inaudible sigh before she turned around to collect more wood. “Fifty-two days of Christmas with a special Christmas event on every single one of them.”

“Wow. That’s good marketing. Who’s idea was that?”

“Jeremiah’s grandfather. He had a little lodge that was always fully booked. So he and Jerimiah’s father built this big lodge,” she jabbed her thumb into the lodge next to them, “and then they built the cabins when Jerimiah was still a kid. Jeremiah just followed in their footsteps.”

“You don’t sound too thrilled about it.”

Kara scoffed. “Well, you try spending seven weeks of your Christmas taking care of a dozen or so families, twenty-four seven. Don’t get me wrong, the kids are great, but the problem is that you gotta treat everyone like family, but they don’t actually all pitch in and lend a hand like a real family. And it’s not like I’m lazy, I don’t mind the hard work but… I guess the Christmas gene just skipped a generation with Alex. And I obviously don't have it either. That's why- nevermind.” Kara shook her head and grabbed the last bunch of wood before shutting the trunk.

Kara’s rambling confused Lena. She couldn't help but notice the number of times she said ‘Jeremiah’ instead of ‘dad’. Lena had of course noticed the way Kara called Jeremiah and Eliza by their names before but thought nothing of it. Only this morning, when Alex referred to Eliza as ‘mom’ did Lena wonder why Kara referred to her parents by their names. And now again Kara mentioned that the Christmas gene skipped Alex and then made a strange mention of herself. 

“Look, I have nothing against Christmas, alright,” Kara said as she slipped in behind the wheel. “I just think one week would be enough.”

“I didn’t even have one day of Christmas growing up,” Lena commented as she buckled up. 

“What?” Kara asked incredulously.

Lena shrugged. “The Luthor manor never even saw Christmas decorations. My father was far too busy to worry about that, and Lillian has never liked Christmas.”

“Do you like Christmas?”

“It’s not obvious?” Lena challenged with a raised eyebrow.

Kara grinned as she started the car.

“What’s so funny.”

“You’re a grinch.”

* * *

“How about this one? It’s a little more fitted.” The store assistant asked as she held up a cream jacket.

“Hmm, I'm not sure.” Lena held the jacket up against its competitor, a grey one, and considered her options. “What do you think?” she asked the woman.

“I think they both look good,” she supplied unhelpfully.

“And you’ll freeze to death in both of them.” Kara appeared out of nowhere with a massive pretzel in her hands. She had disappeared after she walked Lena to the department store, explaining that she had to drop off the wood somewhere. “May I?” she asked the assistant who smiled and walked a few steps away. “Hold this, will you?” Kara pressed the pretzel into Lena's hands and started rummaging through the nearby clothes rack. After a moment she held two padded jackets up at Lena. “Here, your call.”

Lena observed the two jackets, one a light blue and the other purple.“I’m going to look like a beached whale.”

“Never. I just want you to be warm. I already almost killed you once. Can’t let you freeze to death.” When Lena didn’t answer, Kara lowered the two jackets and bit her lip. “We can go to another store, but the next closest town is an hour away.” 

“No, no, that’s fine.” Lena pulled out her phone with the hand that wasn’t holding the pretzel. “Hope, add to notes. We’ll need a store on the property and our own line of winter clothing.”

“That’s a good idea.” Kara smiled as she took her pretzel back and handed Lena the jackets. “I’ll be outside while you make your decision.” She walked towards the door, turned back, hesitated, and then said, “And for what it's worth, I think the blue one will match your eyes.”

Lena ended up leaving the store with more than she planned to. She settled on the blue jacket, as well as another one in a similar style, but black. New gloves, a massive scarf, and a beanie were also thrown in for good measure. She also ended up with dark denim jeans and two jumpers. By the time she exited the store with three bags, the sun had begun to set. It was barely 4 o’clock, but yet it felt like the day was on its way out. She walked down the quiet street, taking in the Christmas lights that decorated the stores. One by one the shop fronts were illuminated by colorful figures of angels, Christmas trees, and reindeers. It wasn't a very big town, and it probably only had a handful of streets, so finding Kara would likely be easy. She turned onto the next street and scoured her surroundings for Kara. She spotted her red jacket fairly quickly and found her at a food stall where she was purchasing something edible. 

Kara’s eyes went wide as she spotted Lena. “Oh. I leave you alone for one minute and you end up buying half the store.”

“Haha.” Lena laughed sarcastically. Kara burst into a grin that Lena couldn't help but copy, wondering where the blonde's sudden good mood came from. 

The street vendor handed Kara a massive cardboard cone filled to the brim with what looked like french fries. “Poutine,” She announced proudly as she turned to show Lena.

With one hand carrying her treat, and the other carrying two of Lena’s bags (she insisted) Kara led them to a nearby bench. Lena watched with amazement as Kara stuffed her mouth and closed her eyes at the taste. 

“One of Canada’s greatest inventions,” she declared once she could speak again. “Want some?”

Lena eyed the fries suspiciously. They were basically drowning in a thick brown sauce dotted with cheese curds. Hesitantly, she accepted the proffered plastic fork from Kara and stabbed a couple of fries. Lena hummed out a small moan when the taste hit her tongue. “Wow, that’s actually really good.”

Kara grabbed the fork back from Lena and started shoveling the fries into her mouth, her cheeks tinted pink. Lena watched as Kara basically inhaled almost all the fries before pausing and asking Lena if she wanted the last bit. 

Lena chuckled and shook her head. “No, you go ahead.”

On their walk back to the car, with Kara now carrying all three of Lena’s bags, they passed by a tube run. Dozens of kids bundled up in jackets, gloves, and beanies were laughing jovially as they jumped on large truck tires slid down a slope of snow.

“How come there isn't a tube run at Snow Valley?” Lena wondered aloud. 

“Oh, I’m not the right person to talk to about things like that.” 

“Hmm,” Lena said as they came to a stop to watch the kids scream with joy as they glided down the snow. “I think you are.”

Kara sighed. “It needs a longer slope. And we need a belt to bring the kids back up safely with the tubes. But, Jeremiah, he doesn't believe that we need anything mechanical on our property.”

A mixture of frustration and regret swam in Kara’s voice, and Lena decided against pushing for more information. A comfortable silence fell between them as they observed the kids. When Lena glanced over at Kara, she was smiling fondly. She turned to meet Lena’s gaze, and her smile only grew. When Lena didn’t return the smile, Kara angled her head to the side. 

“Listen I,” Lena began hesitantly. “I just wanted to thank you for teaching me how to cross-country today.”

Kara’s eyes softened. “Of course. It was good for me to get out on the trails again. I hadn't seen them in a while.”

“And thank you for helping me with the shopping.” Lena gestured to bags in Kara’s hands. 

“My pleasure. And while we’re at it, I’m sorry for screwing picking you up at the airport. And almost letting you crash into a tree.” Kara winced at the memory.

“It’s okay. Look, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together this week so…” Lena trailed off, not entirely sure where she was going with this. She wanted them to get along. It would make things much easier if they could start over. 

Kara seemed to understand as she placed all the shopping bags in her left hand and held out her right. “I’m Kara Danvers.”

Lena accepted Kara’s outstretched hand. Her bare hand was surprisingly warm, and Lena could feel the heat even through her gloves. “Hi, I’m Lena Luthor. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” Kara parroted softly, her eyes locked on Lena’s.

 _Blue_ , Lena thought again as she realized that they weren’t actually _shaking_ hands, just holding each other's hands for longer than what would be deemed acceptable. She dropped her hand abruptly and took a step back.

“We should head home,” Kara announced, sounding rather sad. 

“Yeah,” Lena agreed after she cleared her throat. “I guess we should.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think xx My tumblr is [here](https://saturn-silk.tumblr.com/) if you wanna follow me


	4. IV

When Kara and Lena entered the lodge, the guests were gathered around the Christmas tree in the lounge, the fairy lights blinking lazily and the guests chatting quietly amongst each other. Kara closed the door behind them with a soft click and brought a finger to her lips, showing Lena to be quiet as they remained in the shadow of the foyer. 

“It’s the tree trimming event,” she whispered before she carefully placed Lena’s shopping down at their feet.

An elderly man, the same one that Lena had noticed that morning at breakfast, was standing in front of the tree gazing up at the star at the very top. Jeremiah shuffled past the guests that formed a half circle behind the man, and their conversation started to die down. Jeremiah held a little cardboard box in one hand and placed the other on the gentleman’s shoulder.

“Will you do the honors, M’yrnn?”

The man turned around and smiled. “Oh, I’d be delighted.” He accepted the box from Jeremiah and pulled out a large silver bauble. “Today is the Feast of Saint Thomas.” He started speaking slowly, and the deep timbre of his voice was soothing. “I recall the first time my parents brought me to Snow Valley for our very first Christmas. I still remember it as if it was yesterday because it happened to be the Feast of Saint Thomas on the very same day that we arrived.” M’yrnn held the bauble up to his face and sighed. “That was a long time ago.”

“Yup, and we’ve been trying to get rid of you ever since,” Jeremiah teased and the guests broke into amused chuckles.

M’yrnn smiled warmly before he continued. “The skis were made of wood back then. So were all the toboggans.”

“And the forests were filled with real abominable snowmen,” Jeremiah said before curling his hands into claws and growling at the nearby children, who jumped back with laughter. 

M’yrnn laughed too before turning back towards the tree. “So, every year on this day we trim the tree.” He reached out and gingerly hung his bauble on a branch before saying, “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” the room echoed. 

“Alright everyone, grab your decorations!” Jeremiah gestured towards where Eliza was standing, ushering the children towards her. “Come on, help yourself.” 

“It’s tradition,” Kara whispered as they watched all the guests grab a decoration off the table that Eliza was manning. “Each guest gets to put a decoration on the tree.” 

“That’s sweet.”

“It is. Bittersweet, actually. M’yrnn’s memory isn’t what it used to be.” Kara admitted. “It’s good that he remembers his childhood here.”

“Has he really come to Snow Valley all his life?”

“Yeah. When M’yrnn started his own family, he continued the tradition. That’s his son, J’onn.” Kara pointed towards the man currently talking to Nia’s boyfriend. “J’onn’s wife, M’gann is somewhere around here too.”

* * *

Lena excused herself to her room shortly after Jeremiah spotted Kara and waved her over. She put away all of her new purchases, transferred all the photos from her tablet to her laptop and composed an email to Lillian, including all the best ones. With that out of the way, she contemplated calling Sam. She had promised to, after all, and she missed her colleague turned friend. She wanted to complain to Sam about her eventful day, especially the skiing. She checked the time to make sure that Sam wouldn’t still be at the office, but before she could tap on the contact, a noise caught her attention. It was raised voices again, and this time Lena recognized Kara and Alex’s. Lena hesitated, her hand frozen over the phone. It sounded heated, Alex’s voice rising dangerously. Curiosity got the better of her as she abandoned her phone and padded over to the window next to the bed. Pulling the curtains away slightly, she peered out to the back of the lodge.

It was dark, with only the porch light illuminating the snowy area, but Lena could make out two figures. Alex and Kara were standing shoulder to shoulder. Kara’s face was red, and Alex’s chest heaving. For a moment Lena was flabbergasted as to why the sisters would be arguing, but then Alex pointed a finger at another figure. Jeremiah was standing a few feet away, close to the back door with his fists balled at his side. The trio’s breath fogged as they spoke, but Lena couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. She caught the tail end of one of Kara’s sentences and her stomach dropped. 

“... t _he Luthors_..”

Were the Luthors the cause of the argument? Was it Lena?

Alex was saying something again, and it looked like she was in agreement with Kara. Jeremiah took a step forward, his mouth contorted into a grimace. The backdoor opened suddenly and Eliza appeared. Everybody froze as she neared her husband with a mixture of sadness and worry on her face. With a heavy sigh, Lena closed the curtain and turned away. She’d seen enough. She could still hear the muffled voices of the Danvers outside, so she grabbed a towel and stormed to the bathroom for a shower. The scorching water drowned out any sounds and Lena remained under the steady stream for longer than necessary, indulging herself. She washed off the day’s snowy adventure and felt positively warm for the first time since she woke up. She tried not to think of anything and simply enjoyed the feeling of scratching her scalp as she lathered her hair with shampoo, but still her thoughts drifted back towards Kara.

Kara was so hard to read. One moment she seemed to dislike Lena and seemed opposed to spending any time with her at all. The next moment she was all smiles, offering a fresh start and offhandedly complementing Lena’s eyes. Lena had bought it- there was no reason to make her stay at Snow Valley worse than it already was going to be, but now… now she didn’t know what to think. It frustrated Lena to not know where she stood. It would be better if Kara just flat out disliked her and not played Jekyll and Hyde with her opinions. That way neither of them would have to act. But, if she was truthful, Lena didn't dislike Kara. How could she with her bright smiles and impossibly blue eyes? All things considered, there was something freeing about being in the woods with her and walking through the town.

Lena shut the water off with a sigh and wrapped herself in the white fluffy towel before padding back to the bed. Desperate for a distraction and simultaneously looking to procrastinate from writing her report, she decided to fit some of her new clothes on and settled for the jeans and a dark green sweater. The jeans hugged her curves in all the right places, and the sweater was soft and warm against her skin. Who would have known that a department store clothes could fit so well, she thought as she ripped the tags off. She opted to keep her new outfit on for a bit as she sat down with her laptop again. She draped the blanket over her crossed legs before opening up her Power point presentation and contemplating how to start it. Now that she had more information about Snow Valley, Lena found it even harder to tackle her report. The words: Luthor’s Snow Valley. Starting fresh from the ground up, in its bold letters stared at her mockingly and she stared back. A stalemate. 

Someone knocked at the door, and Lena swallowed a sigh, wondering what Eliza could possibly want with her. Much to her surprise, it wasn't Eliza that entered her room, but Kara. She smiled shyly as she neared Lena with a small cardboard box in her hands.

“Hey,” she breathed as she stopped in front of the coffee table. “I’m sorry to bother you.”

Kara seemed to have showered after her argument as well. She was wearing a clean pair of dark jeans, matched with the most atrocious sweater Lena had ever seen. The face of a reindeer, wearing sunglasses and a Christmas hat adorned most of the black wool. All around him were Christmas lights and candy canes in bright colors.

Lena schooled her features. “That’s fine. How can I help?”

“Like I told you earlier, ever since Jeremiah’s grandfather started Snow Valley, every guest has been given their own decoration for the Christmas tree in the lounge.” Kara hesitated. “Eliza was wondering if you’d put this one up, so we don’t break the tradition.” She held the box out towards Lena, her lips curled hopefully. 

“Oh. No, I’m sorry. I’m working.” Lena gestured to the laptop in front of her.

“Yeah. Right, of course.” Kara frowned, the earlier curve of her lips disappearing as quickly as they came. “I was also wondering, or hoping that you’d come down tonight. I- gosh, it’s a bit stupid. Nevermind.”

Intrigued, Lena raised an eyebrow against her better judgement. “What is it?”

Kara’s cheeks tinted a lovely pink. “I would like to spend some time with you too. Plus, maybe experiencing the Christmas traditions will be good for you. Or your report, I mean.”

Oh. Lena glanced back at her report. Perhaps it would be beneficial. For the report, obviously.

Kara mistook Lena’s silence as she plunged her hand into the box and extracted a large bauble. “This one’s hand-painted,” was all she said as she handed over to Lena. 

The bauble was made of glass, and Lena felt the weight of it in her hands as she looked at the scene that was painted on it. The sphere was covered in a deep blue, and a cabin covered in snow, surrounded by pine trees stretched around the middle of the bauble. 

“It’s beautiful,” Lena uttered quietly as she brought it closer to her face to observe the tiny details. At the bottom of the scene, “K.D” was signed in white. When Lena looked up, she saw that Kara’s blush had deepened. “Did you paint this?”

“Yeah, Eliza and I hand paint all the decorations.”

“Well,” Lena said as she pushed the blanket to the side and stood up, “in that case it would be rude of me to not hang it up.”

* * *

“Perfect,” Kara said once Lena stepped back from the Christmas tree. 

Lena had taken a couple of minutes as she considered where the optimal place would be for her to place her bauble. She didn't want to place it in a cluttered area near to many other decorations. She also didn't want to place it close to decorations of a similar color. Eventually, she opted for a spot near the front of the Christmas tree. It was a bit higher up and Lena had to stand or her tiptoes reach her desired branch. 

“I think so too,” Lena agreed.

The lounge was quiet, with a handful of adults reclining on the couches or armchairs and chatting quietly amongst themselves. Most of the children were in the dining area, all seated at the main table, doing what Lena assumed was art and crafts under the watchful eye of Eliza. Jeremiah and Alex were nowhere to be seen, and Lena itched to mention the earlier argument but thought better of it. It was none of her business. 

“You two, come here,” Eliza called from the dining room. “I need your help,” she said once Kara and Lena reached her. “Every year the kids bring gifts for the children’s hospital in town. We wrap them just after we’ve trimmed the tree. It gets Christmas off on the right foot and reminds them it's not just about what they get, but also about what they give.”

“That’s so sweet.” Lena looked over at the dining table. Dozens of rolls of wrapping paper lay spread out on the table, with small pieces flying around as the children cut the paper into the desired sizes. 

“The problem is that one gift in particular is a little fragile this year. I don’t trust any of them to wrap it.” Eliza continued in a low voice. As if to emphasize her point, a young girl dropped her sellotape and bent down so quickly to get it, that she pulled the gift that she was wrapping off the table as well. “Please, would the two of you take care of it?”

Kara beamed and agreed immediately, and before Lena knew it, Eliza was thrusting a roll of wrapping paper into Lena’s arms, as well as a pair of scissors and a roll of sellotape. The gift turned out to be a large porcelain tea set, which Kara gently held against her chest as they made their way back to the fireplace. The guests that had occupied the couch moments ago had moved away towards the children, leaving the space around the coffee table free. 

“Okay, let’s get started.” Kara placed the gift on the coffee table and sank down to her knees.

Lena followed Kara’s example and settled down on the opposite side of the table, immensely grateful that she decided on buying the jeans after all. She eyed the roll of wrapping paper unsurely as she pushed it onto the low table. There were only three people in the world that she had ever bought gifts for. The first was for her college boyfriend Jack, and then more recently for Sam and Ruby. The gifts were always ordered online, and Lena simply selected the gift wrap option before she checked out. She’d never wrapped any kind of gift herself and thus was at a bit of a loss of where to start. 

Kara frowned at Lena’s hesitance before her eyebrows rose in understanding. Tactfully she didn't mention Lena’s obvious inexperience when it came to wrapping, but said instead, “I’ll get started and you can just follow my lead.”

Kara rolled the brown wrapping paper out onto the table before placing the gift in the centre. Lena offered to cut the paper to size. She was confident that she could do that at least, and Kara chuckled at Lena’s insistence on cutting the wrapping paper 100% straight. As Lena cut, Kara took it upon herself to bite the sellotape to the correct length before sticking the little strips onto the edge of the table.

Lena looked up, horrified. “You know you could have just waited until I was done with the scissor, right?”

Kara just shrugged as she brought the roll of sellotape to her mouth again, and Lena had to look away when she saw a flash of her tongue behind her teeth. Kara proceeded to fold the paper over the gift, and Lena took the hint and stuck some sellotape on the seam.

“Now, comes the fun part.” Kara moved around the table and came to a stop next to Lena. “Folding the corners.” 

She demonstrated and Lena watched intently as Kara’s fingers nimbly folded the paper in on itself. When Lena went to paste the sellotape once more, she found it slightly trickier. Kara’s hand was holding the paper down, and Lena’s knuckles brushed against the back of her hand. She pulled her hand away, feeling as if she were burned. Kara too removed her hand, allowing Lena to place the next bit of sellotape without a hitch.

“Would you like to fold the other corner?”

Lena nodded and rotated the gift. She tried to recall the movements that Kara made and found it simple enough. She held the paper in place and Kara leaned over her arms to reach the sellotape. She struggled to lift it off the table and hovered in Lena’s personal space for a moment. Lena sat frozen, not wanting to let go of the gift. The soft wool of Kara’s jumper tickled Lena’s forearms, and she sat frozen as she breathed in the subtle vanilla scent of the blonde. When Kara _finally_ moved back and carefully pasted the tape, their hands brushed again. This time, Kara didn’t snatch her hand away, but lingered as she smoothed down the seam, her hand resting on top of Lena’s. The burn that Lena felt before morphed into tingles, spreading through her palm and up her arms. It was over as soon as it started, and suddenly Kara was reaching around on the floor, her cheeks flushed. Lena was still holding onto the gift, although it was no longer necessary, and when she realized she dropped her hands and cleared her throat. 

“All done,” Kara announced as she stuck a pre-made bow on top of the gift. She smiled shyly. “You did a good job.”

Lena felt her cheeks heat at Kara’s praise, and she quickly rose to her feet. “I think I’m gonna call it a night.”

Kara’s face fell, but she nodded and untangled her legs. She walked Lena to the base of the stairs and bid her a good night. Lena was halfway up the stairs when a voice called her.

“How do you take your coffee?”

Lena’s brows furrowed, but she paused her ascend and answered over her shoulder. “Black. Once sugar.”

* * *

The next morning Lena felt herself jerk awake. She was met with darkness signaling the early hour. She rolled onto her side and checked the time. 6:30 am. Wondering what could have disturbed her sleep, Lena closed her eyes and tried to drift off again, but just as she felt herself slip, a knock reverberated through her door, causing her to startle. 

She crossed the bedroom in a daze and when she cracked the bedroom door open, she was eye to eye with a bright-faced Kara Danvers.

“Morning,” she whispered. A cup of black coffee made its way through the crack in the door, and Lena accepted it without thinking. 

“Morning? Kara, what are you doing here? It's early.” Lena yawned on cue to emphasize the early hour.

“I wanna show you the snowshoeing trails.” 

“At six in the morning? The sun isn't even up yet.”

“Exactly. Dress warmly and meet me downstairs. Oh, and try to be quiet.”

Lena contemplated slamming the door in Kara’s face and crawling back into bed, but something about Kara’s hopeful smile convinced her not to. She made quick work of dressing in almost all the clothes she bought the day before as she sipped on the coffee that did it’s best to wake her up completely. Satisfied with the way she looked in her form-fitting snow pants, blue jacket with a jumper underneath, Lena grabbed her gloves and new beanie before heading downstairs. The lounge was dark, safe for the dim light coming from the twinkling Christmas tree. Kara was standing in front of the unlit fireplace, sipping on her own cup of coffee. She smiled the moment she noticed Lena.

“Come on,” she said as she placed her mug down on the coffee table. “Jeremiah and Eliza will be coming down soon, and I’d preferably be gone before then.”

Twenty minutes later, Lena reluctantly got out of the Range Rover and was met with a rather intimidating hill. She couldn’t make out much in the darkness, but she could tell it was steep. A small snow covered trail could be seen in between the trees.

“This is the snowshoeing trail?”

“This is the best one,” Kara corrected as she handed Lena a pair of snowshoes and black leg warmers. “Though not a lot of guests really know about it.”

Lena highly doubted that walking up a snow-covered hill in almost pitch darkness, in 30 degrees Fahrenheit, could be considered the best anything. Despite her new winter attire, Lena was still feeling the chill. Her warm breath created little puffs of smoke in the cold air as she struggled to catch up to Kara, who was already a few paces in front of her. Walking in snowshoes wasn't as hard as she’d imagined, but the blonde’s long legs and enthusiasm left Lena falling behind. Kara seemed to notice something was amiss as she glanced over her shoulder and came to an abrupt stop. She waited for Lena to be beside her again before she started moving at a slightly slower pace.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Lena wondered aloud as she eyed the trees that loomed on either side of them.

“Of course. The bears don’t come to this part of the forest.”

Lena’s steps faltered. “Bears?” 

Kara held a straight face for a long moment before bursting out into a full belly laugh that echoed around them. “I’m only kidding. You should have seen your face.”

“Not funny,” Lena muttered through a small smile.

They walked in companionable silence for the rest of the way, with Kara occasionally pointing at a shrub or a tree that Lena could barely see in the dark. Kara, it turned out, knew a lot about the fauna and flora in the forest, and she claimed that if need be, she was confident that she’d alone survive in the wilderness. That caused Lena to worry. What if they got lost? Did Kara know where she was leading them? Kara assured Lena that she knew the forest like the back of her hand and that they were in fact close to their end destination. For that Lena was glad, as her calves were starting to burn.

“Here we are,” Kara announced some time later.

Lena’s breath hitched. Suddenly there were no more trees on either side of them as they stepped into a clearing. It was simply stunning. The clearing, no bigger than an Olympic swimming pool, was completely free of trees or shrubs. The snow here seemed thicker and completely undisturbed, the only marks in it were the indents that Kara created with her snowshoes as she pressed forward. Lena followed silently and came to a stop next to Kara. They were on top of the hill, Lena realized as she looked over the misty canopy of trees below them. Further on, the outlines of the mountain were just becoming sharper as the first rays of the sun became visible far off in the horizon. 

“Just in time,” Kara whispered, awestruck.

Together they watched the sun rise over the mountain, its deep copper rays stretching over the slowly lightening sky, illuminating the mountains and the treetops. Lena felt serene watching night turn into day in the deafening quiet of the forest. She knew she should slip her tablet out of her jacket pocket and capture the occasion for her report, but she couldn't bear to pollute the moment with technology. Instead, she turned to look at Kara. Her eyes were closed and a small smile played on the corner of her lips. She was bathed in a rosy glow and the sun brought out the golden hues of her hair.

“I used to love coming here when I first joined the Danvers,” Kara spoke without opening her eyes. “Thirteen-year-old me used to sneak out in the early morning hours and hike up here all by myself to wait for the sunrise.” Kara opened her eyes and turned to meet Lena’s gaze. “Eliza was petrified the first time she found my room empty. She was worried sick and was close to calling the park rangers to send out a search party.”

“You’re adopted,” Lena realized. 

“Yeah. My parents… they passed away, and I was lucky enough to be adopted by Eliza and Jeremiah.”

There was a silence, and Lena swallowed. “I’m adopted too. I mean, I technically am a Luthor, but Lillian isn’t my birth mother. She died too.”

“Im sorry,” Kara said softly.

“So am I.” Lena cleared her throat and reached for her tablet. She snapped plenty of photos of the view as well as the clearing itself. Beside her, Kara kept her eyes locked on the sky.

“Will you change much?” She asked suddenly.

“Snow Valley?” Lena checked and Kara nodded. “Well, we’ll have to change some of it, but hopefully not as much as I thought we should.” A look of relief washed over Kara’s features.

It was Lena’s turn to close her eyes as she took a deep breath, savouring the crisp air. “Do you hear that?”

Kara’s brows furrowed “What?”

“Nothing,” Lena replied. “Silence. It’s so quiet up here.” Compared to the constant hustle and bustle in Metropolis, this was heaven to Lena’s eardrums. 

Suddenly Kara grabbed Lena’s tablet out of her hands and Lena’s eyes flew open.

“Hey!”

Kara held the tablet up, angling it towards Lena. “Go on, strike a pose.” When Lena made no move, Kara urged her on. “Come on. You need to have some proof that you were really here to send to your friends back home.”

Lena rolled her eyes, but complied, making a peace sign and sticking her tongue out. Sam and Ruby would get a kick out of that. Kara snapped a couple of photos, laughing as Lena switched her pose and blew a kiss at the camera. When she handed the tablet back, her smile disappeared and she regarded Lena, a strange look clouding her features.

“What is it?” Lena questioned immediately.

“I was right. The jacket really does bring out your eyes.”

* * *

“I’m sorry, Lena. I’m so so-”

“Please, stop,” Lena gritted out.

Kara had been apologizing profusely, non-stop, for the last five minutes. For something that wasn't even her fault. On their short drive back to the lodge Kara had insisted on playing one particularly irritating Christmas song over and over, and by the time they parked the Range Rover in front of the three pine trees Kara had taken to singing said song by herself.

Kara sang loudly as they crossed the slippery ground, dragging the words out “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away!” 

“Please make it stop, ”Lena mumbled under her breath. “This has to be the worst Christmas song in existence.”

“Excuse me?” Kara stopped in her tracks and brought her hand to her chest dramatically. “Take that back. It’s a masterpiece.”

“No, it’s not.” Lena smirked.

“Take it back.” 

Kara pushed Lena’s shoulder playfully, and Lena surprised herself by retaliating with her own little nudge to Kara’s surprisingly hard bicep. Kara barely budged and grinned as she pushed Lena again, slightly harder than before.

Lena stumbled backwards and felt her boots lose their grip on the wet tar. Her foot slid out from under her and in an attempt to regain her balance, Lena shifted all her weight to the other leg. A pain shot through her ankle, and suddenly she landed on the ground, hip first.

Kara was in front of her in a flash, panic shining in her eyes as she crouched down. “Oh my god, Lena! Are you okay?”

Lena was already pushing herself into a sitting position. “I think so.” She assessed her body. Her hip was definitely going to be bruised.

Kara extended her hands and gently pulled Lena up, only for Lena to hiss in pain. “What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”

“My ankle.” Lena gingerly applied weight to her ankle and hissed again.

Suddenly muscular arms snaked over her back, and under her her thighs as Kara picked her up effortlessly. Bridal style. Mortified and simultaneously impressed with the brazen display of strength, Lena let out an undignified squeak.

“Put me down.” Kara either didn't hear her, or chose to ignore her as she decidedly strode to the lodge with Lena in her arms. “I’m not an invalid, I can walk!” 

Kara opened the front door with one hand and made a bee-line for the kitchen. Some guests were already enjoying an early breakfast and shot them curious looks as they passed. Lena had the urge to hide her face in Kara’s neck, but closed her eyes instead..

“What happened?” Eliza exclaimed the moment they entered the kitchen. She abandoned the cake that she was icing and rushed over to where Kara placed Lena down in a chair.

“I slipped.”

“It’s my fault. I pushed her. It was an accident.” Kara’s face was flushed as she repositioned her glasses almost violently. “I’m sorry.”

“Where does it hurt?” Eliza repeated Kara’s earlier words. She assessed Lena’s ankle, prodding it slightly, watching Lena’s reaction.

“What if it’s sprained!?” Kara continued as she hovered over Lena. “I’m so sorry!”

“Kara,” Lena tried to calm the panicked woman, “it’s fine. It doesn’t even hurt that much.”

“I don’t think it’s sprained,” Eliza reassured as she wrapped a bag of peas in a tea towel before placing it on Lena’s leg.

A continuous stream of apologies fell from Kara’s mouth, and even Eliza was growing weary. She sent Kara away to do her chores, claiming that Lena would be fine. Kara apologized once more and only rushed out of the kitchen after Lena shot her a glare.

“Don’t be too harsh on her. She’s probably gonna apologize for the next 24 hours or so, but it’ll pass.” 

“Does she always overreact like this?”

Eliza smiled fondly. “Sometimes. She has a caring heart.”

After a short silence, Lena handed the bag of peas back to Eliza with a whispered, “Thank you,” before limping up the staircase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for any mistakes in the chapter! I'm going away for a few days so I barely had time to read this properly before posting- but I really wanted to get this up before leaving. Let me know what you think


	5. V

After shedding her boots and jacket, and swapping them for jeans and the new purple jumper she acquired, Lena collapsed on the couch in her room. Even though her ankle was only giving her minor discomfort, she still grabbed a cushion and elevated her leg on the coffee table. Luckily, her tablet survived the fall unscratched and Lena scrolled through the photos she took earlier. The clearing was just as stunning in photo form as in person, and Lena longed to be there again. She tried to imagine what it would have looked like in the summer, with green grass and clear blue skies. She could just picture Kara in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt soaking up the sun with her eyes closed and her legs spread out beneath her. 

Kara. What a sweet, bumbling idiot, Lena thought fondly as she scrolled to the pictures that Kara had snapped of her. In the photos, Lena looked sickly happy with her wide smile and cheeks pink from the cold. Cold and exercise were two of the things that she despised the most, but for once, she found that she didn’t mind it quite as much. Hiking the trail with Kara was nice. Watching the sunrise, hearing Kara talk about her adoptive family and Lena subsequently revealing a part of herself in return was _nice._ Kara’s refusal to play anything other than Wham! on the ride back was less nice, and so was falling and making a complete fool of herself. Lena’s ears heated at the memory of Kara picking her up as if she weighed nothing. That was certainly nice too. _Very nice._

Pushing away all thoughts of the blonde and her strength, Lena forwarded Sam the pictures of herself and added “ _Miss you guys!”_ with a snowflake and a heart emoji. She contemplated for a moment before snapping a picture of her current getup with her leg propped up on the table and her foot in a colorful fluffy sock. She sent that trough to Sam, adding the emoticon with the head bandage. Ruby would be proud of Lena’s emoji use for sure.

A lazy yawn crept up on Lena, one that she didn’t even bother stifling. She felt drained. The combination of the early start to her day, the physical exercise, and the fresh air was getting to her. She shifted her entire body onto the couch, bringing the pillow along to keep her ankle comfortable as she lay down on her back. She closed her eyes, just for a second, contemplating a midmorning nap. It was still early, and she was injured, after all. An hour nap, perhaps two. She deserved it. She really needed to start that report though, she thought as she dozed off. 

* * *

When Lena opened her eyes again, they were heavy with sleep. She felt a little disoriented as she sat upright and checked the time. She had slept much longer than she intended, and it was well past the lunch hour. Her stomach grumbled to affirm this and Lena, who had skipped breakfast because of her and Kara’s little hike, felt uncharacteristically hungry. She stood, testing her ankle by applying weight to it. Satisfied that she could walk normally, she pulled on her shoes and slipped out of her room in search of some food. The lodge was empty and completely quiet as Lena made her way towards the lounge. The aged wooden floor creaked with her weight as she peered into the dining area in search of Eliza. Not a single guest was about, and she felt odd and out of place- almost like an intruder, as she walked through the empty dining area. Her head whipped in the direction of the kitchen at the sound of a cupboard door being opened and closed loudly, followed by the rustling of cutlery. She moved towards the kitchen, happy to know that there was some other trace of life around, other than herself. That’s when she heard the humming. Soft and melodic and all too familiar. 

Last - _fucking_ -Christmas.

When Lena came to a stop in the kitchen doorway, Kara had her side turned toward the door and was peering into the double-doored fridge, her eyebrows scrunched and a piece of toast hanging out of her mouth. She paused her humming to mumble something under her breath as her arm disappeared into the fridge as she shifted things around. A muffled _aha!_ came from around the piece of toast as Kara found what she was looking for. She closed the fridge door, her eyes locked on her long-awaited treasure: a large pot of Raspberry jam. Somehow Kara reminded Lena of a raccoon, and she let out a chuckle at the image of the blonde rummaging through a dumpster. At the sound of Lena’s quiet laughter, Kara jumped, nearly dropping the pot of jam as she flailed to keep it in her grasp. 

“Lena!” She exclaimed once she safely placed the jam and slice of toast on the kitchen counter. “What are you doing up? You should be resting your ankle!”

“My ankle is fine. And I was resting.”

“That’s good.” Kara hesitated and fiddled with her glasses. “Listen, Lena, I just wanted to-”

“Kara,” Lena interrupted as she moved into the kitchen. “I swear if you’re going to apologize again... My ankle is fine. _I’m_ fine. Look.” Lena came to a standstill and placed all her weight on her injured leg. It was uncomfortable, but not nearly as painful as it was when she fell.

Kara’s expression remained tortured as she glanced at Lena’s feet. “First I soak you, then I almost kill you while cross skiing and then this,” she gestured wildly at Lena’s ankle. “What next?”

Lena raised an eyebrow. “Hopefully nothing. I’d really like to go back to Metropolis in one piece.”

An indiscernible look washed over Kara’s features as she looked into Lena’s eyes. A flash of recognition followed by sadness passed through her eyes. She breathed a barely audible sigh before she opened her mouth.

“Lena, I was wo-”

The toaster popped loudly behind them, causing Kara to jump and Lena to pull back and straighten her posture. When had she leaned in closer to Kara? She watched as the woman collected two more slices of toast, passing them from hand to hand as they burned her fingers. Lena cleared her throat before sitting down at the island opposite Kara, who started slapping peanut butter on her toast. 

“So where is everybody?” 

“Oh, they’re all out sledding. I was there too, but I was a little hungry so I thought it best to fuel up quickly,” Kara explained as she dug into the pot of jam next, covering the second slice of toast in a thick layer before pressing the two slices together with a soft squelch.

Lena’s stomach clenched and let out a soft grumble as she watched Kara slice her sandwich in half before taking a large bite. 

“How rude of me!” Kara exclaimed when she could swallow. “Can I make you something too?”

When Kara’s tongue darted out to lick at the sticky jam that coated her lips, Lena’s stomach clenched in an entirely different manner. Lena stuttered out a yes and felt her cheeks heat at her ineloquence. She blamed it on her fall. Perhaps she hit her head without noticing. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich wasn’t a meal Lena would ever prepare for herself, and Kara’s application of the ingredients was generous, to say the least, but she still found herself enjoying it. By the time she had finished her sandwich, Kara had wolfed down three. Lena decidedly kept her eyes on her plate as they ate to avoid any further unwanted fluttering in her stomach.

“Right, back to sledding!” Kara announced once she put their plates in the sink. “You wanna join?” 

* * *

Sledding was yet another thing that almost all the guests were involved in. Not even a ten-minute walk away from the lodge was an open space with a hill. Kids and adults alike were racing down it on a mixture of wooden and plastic sleds, while others were standing off to the side laughing and cheering at the smaller children. Kara abandoned Lena fairly quickly and headed off towards a large wooden toboggan, leaving Lena to feel a little out of place. That was until she noticed Nia standing at the foot of the hill, bundled up in a light pink jacket. She had beckoned Lena over and she went gratefully. They exchanged simple conversation as Lena snapped some photos of the sledding. Nia asked, much to Lena’s embarrassment, about her ankle. Of course, the whole lodge would know about her incident. 

Nia laughed at Lena’s expression. “Oh, don’t be embarrassed. I broke my arm ice skating one year. It happens to the best of us.”

Kara came sliding down the hill on her toboggan with a wide smile on her face. She grabbed a handful of snow on her descent and tossed it in their direction. Nia stuck her tongue out at the blonde, causing Kara to giggle as she picked up her sleigh effortlessly and jogged up the hill once more.

“So how long have you known Kara?” Lena wondered

“Pretty much all my life. My parents come here every year,” Nia answered with a smile. ”Two weeks at Christmas, a couple of weeks in the summer. Sometimes just for a weekend in the spring. Kara and Alex were like my cool older cousins who I saw on vacation.”

“And you never got bored of coming to the same place every year?”

“Are you kidding me? It’s like our second home.”

Kara was heading down the slope again, standing up straight on her toboggan with two little kids sitting at her feet laughing hysterically.

“Onwards my trusty steed!” Kara exclaimed as she lifted a fist into the air.

“I haven’t seen Kara have this much fun in ages,” Nia commented as they watched Kara drag the sled with the kids still on it up the hill, exaggerating her movements and heaving out clouds of warm air as she complained how heavy they were. “It’s good to see her happy again after the year they had.”

“How so?” Lena asked, unable to curb her curiosity.

“Jeremiah’s health has been a great worry for her. Well, for the whole family obviously. They almost lost him.”

“What happened?”

“He’s always had some heart problems, nothing too serious. But then one day he suffered a stroke.” Nia admitted solemnly. “It came out of nowhere. He had brain surgery and everything.”

Lena observed Kara on the top of the hill where she was helping another child onto the sled. Her heart ached for her and her family for having to go through such an ordeal. She knew the struggle of a sick father all too well. Lionel’s cancer came out of nowhere and robbed him of his life within months.

“It was so sad.” Nia continued. “He had just started taking a new wonder drug that was supposed to be better and then- boom.”

“Excuse me, what? Lena’s blood ran cold. Lex used to call his invention a wonder drug. 

“Yeah, Eliza said something about some alternative medicine. I don’t know much about it, only that they were pretty excited since it was supposed to do the work of about five different types of medicine while still being super affordable.”

“What was it called?” Lena was pleased that she sounded calmer than she felt. It had to be a coincidence. There were thousands of drugs on the market.

Nia shrugged. “No clue. Ever since then, Jeremiah’s been doing less and less around the lodge. I’ve even heard rumors of them selling it. I hope it’s not true. I know Kara and Alex had always planned to take over the lodge, but I don’t think that’ll happen anymore.”

“Why not?” Lena managed to ask.

“The two of them always had big plans for it when they were younger. Alex was the business head and Kara was the visionary. In the last couple of years, Kara spoke less and less about the lodge and more about following in her cousin’s footsteps. And I know Alex doesn’t want to be a park ranger forever. It’s a tough position for them to be in.” 

“This drug is going to radicalize the health industry, sis. Our competitors won’t be able to match what we have. We’re going to make millions.”

The conversation drifted away from Jeremiah’s health and Nia started talking about something else. Her university? Her major? Lena wasn’t too sure. She nodded and the right moments and smiled, but her mind was light years away. 

It seemed that no matter how far she went, how many thousands of miles she traveled, Lex’s shadow would always follow her. The Luthor name now tarnished forever, and Lena with it. Of course, she had no confirmation that the drug Jeremiah used was Lex’s or that the administration of the drugs caused his stroke, but Lena had a gut feeling that spread through her stomach, causing her to bite back nausea. 

“Lena, are you okay?”

Nia’s face swam into focus and Lena realized that there was a lapse in conversation. Nia had asked her a question, but Lena was lost in thought, staring at the trees behind the girl.

“Yes, sorry. You were saying?”

Lena excused herself shortly after, alluding that her ankle was bothering her. It was a convenient excuse when in reality all she wanted was to curl up into a ball and disappear from the face of the earth. First Lillian decides to demolish Danvers’ lodge and now it turns out that Lex could be behind the ill health of Jeremiah. Lena knew it could be a coincidence. How was she to know that it was Lex’s drug? It could have been anything. At least that’s what she kept telling herself all the way back to her room. There she flipped open her laptop and collapsed onto her bed. A few clicks later Lena was right where she wanted to be. 

**“A DRUG HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR A PROBLEM THAT INCREASES HEART ATTACK OR STROKE CHANCES”**

**“LEXCORP DRUG FAILS FDA REGULATIONS”**

**“LEX LUTHOR'S ‘MIRACLE DRUG’ CAUSES 369 DEATHS AND COUNTLESS ADVERSE EFFECTS REPORTED”**

Lena scrolled through the articles skimming over the words. She’d read them all multiple times when the news first broke. At first, she believed her brother when he claimed that there must have been some mistake. He was innocent. It was some manufacturing problem. He wasn’t to be blamed. 

Investigations were conducted. Evidence was uncovered. Paper trails. Blackmail. Bribery. 

Lex was fully aware that the drug wasn’t ready. It didn’t pass the regulations. The trails were not 100% successful, but still he went forward with it and released a dangerous drug to the world. By the time the drug was recalled the death toll had risen to nearly a thousand. 

Lena scoured the web, uselessly, falling into a rabbit hole of articles and interviews. She didn’t know what she was looking for. Perhaps some sort of confirmation that a small town holiday resort owner had fallen ill as a result of a failed drug. There was nothing of course. No way for Lena to know for sure if her family, _her brother,_ had affected the life of the Danvers irrevocably. But it fit. The timeline was right. The symptoms too. 

Three loud raps on the bedroom door startled Lena, and she slapped her laptop shut. She immediately knew that it wasn’t Eliza or Kara at the door. The knock was too forceful for that. Much to her surprise, it was Alex who confidently strode into her room. Seeing the woman out of her park ranger uniform came as a surprise, but the soft grey sweater and jeans did nothing to make her look less menacing.

“I hope you’re not busy, Luthor.” 

Lena shook her head and couldn't help but think of Alex's first words to her. “I know who you are, Luthor…” Alex had to know that Lex was her brother. The same brother that basically poisoned Jeremiah and nearly caused his death. Had Alex finally come to confront Lena? 

“Good, cause I need a favor.” Alex sighed and mumbled something under her breath before addressing Lena again. “My sister is currently sitting downstairs looking like a lost puppy. We’re building gingerbread houses tonight and I know she’s secretly hoping that you’ll join.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I should really be working.”

“Please. She still thinks that you’re holding a grudge against her because of your fall. Her retelling was pretty hilarious, by the way. Come on, someone has to stop her from eating more than she builds.”

Lena knew that she shouldn’t have gone downstairs. She should have stayed in her room, opened her laptop, deleted her search history of the last couple of hours, and started her goddamned report. She should distance herself from the Danvers, given their potential history with the Luthor’s. She should distance herself from Kara.

Instead, she followed Alex downstairs, her eyes zoning in on Kara almost immediately. Kara who lit up brighter than the stupid Christmas tree behind her the moment she noticed Lena. Kara with her black and white flannel that was rolled up to expose her muscled forearms. It was silly and dangerous, and Lena considered backtracking up the stairs until Maggie appeared out of nowhere and shoved a glass of eggnog into her hands.

“Glad you could join us,” Maggie smirked. “Hope you’re ready for the ass-whoopin’ that Alex and I are gonna lay on you and Kara.”

Lena’s face must have given her confusion away as Kara stepped closer to explain. “It’s always a bit of a friendly competition between the three of us. Building the best gingerbread house is a high honor, rivaled only by eating the most bowls of trifle without getting sick.”

Maggie coughed. “Smooth, little Danvers,” she muttered. “Anyway, I’m glad you here to lend a helping hand. Kara always loses, so she could do with some assistance.”

Lena did not come downstairs with the intention of actually participating in the construction of houses made out of cookies and pure sugar, but somehow she found herself elbow to elbow next to Kara as they prepared for what Alex called: Extreme Makeover Gingerbread Addition. Around them groups of children were setting up their own stations, but none of them looked as menacing as Alex and Maggie. The two women cracked their knuckles and rolled their shoulders, causing Kara to shake her head. Their self-assurance brought out the competitive side of Lena, and soon enough she rolled up the sleeves of her jumper as Alex set a stopwatch on her phone. 

“One hour, ladies. May the best team win!”

The two park rangers jumped into action immediately, but Kara hesitated.

“How would you like to do this?” She asked shyly. 

Lena regarded their supplies. They had ample amounts of gingerbread shapes, icing, and candies. Needless to say, Lena had no experience with building gingerbread houses, but she figured if she could assemble robots then a candy house should prove relatively simple. 

“Let's start by getting a solid base to work with, the last thing we want is our house toppling down.”

Kara's face lit up. “On it.”

‘On it ' Lena learned apparently meant drowning the gingerbread in icing. Her eyes went wide as she watched Kara spread copious amounts of icing around, much the same way she made her peanut butter and jelly sandwich earlier. Lena stepped in quickly, lightly admonishing Kara. She didn’t seem to mind. “More for me to eat later!” she announced happily as she passed the gingerbread over to Lena.

Despite their slow start, their gingerbread house came along swiftly. They made a good team: Kara icing the biscuits with almost superhuman speed and Lena expertly placing them. They quickly matched Alex and Maggie’s progress, and Lena smirked when she caught Alex’s slightly worried glance. Kara started to ice the roof, eager to get ahead of their opponents, but Lena stopped her.

“Wait. I have an idea.” Lena wanted to win. Needed to redeem Kara’s reputation and wipe the earlier smug look off Alex’s face once and for always. She met Kara’s confused eyes and held out her hand. “Ice me window panels.”

Together they converted the single-story house into a double, complete with a section of bay windows to the one side and a porch in the front. Attaching the roof, which Kara informed her was the most troublesome part, went swimmingly. When it came to decorating, Lena finally understood Alex’s earlier plea for someone to stop Kara from eating all the treats. For every candy she placed down, she popped two more in her mouth. Despite that, she was still a valuable asset. Lena realized that Kara’s artistic abilities stretched to icing too. After Lena placed the bowls of candy out of the blonde’s reach, she reverted to icing intricate roof tiles and snow around the house. With five minutes to spare, they added candy cane fencing around their property, and little M&M shrubs. 

All in all, Lena thought it looked downright amazing and Kara rewarded her with an excited high five when Alex’s phone blared. 

“Well, I think this has to be the most creative gingerbread house I’ve seen in a while,” Eliza said with a smile as she abandoned the children that she was assisting. “Good job, girls.”

Alex was less impressed, but Maggie seemed intrigued as she came to inspect their handiwork. “I take it back, Kara. You’re not totally useless after all.”

Kara beamed, and she suddenly grabbed Lena’s shoulder and pulled her into her. “I couldn't have done it without my partner. She was the brains behind it all.” 

Lena felt her ears heat as Kara looked down at her with a softer smile. “It’s nothing.” She mumbled before sliding out of Kara’s grasp and shaking off the strange feeling that spread through her shoulders and back.

While Kara removed the leftover sweets and biscuits (by stuffing her face with them) Lena pulled out her phone and snapped some pictures of the gingerbread house. She convinced herself they were purely for Ruby, but she secretly wanted to have a few snaps for herself too. Alex handed her a refilled eggnog soon after, all traces of her being a poor loser gone. Somehow Lena found herself on the couch in front of the fireplace next to Kara. Alex and Maggie shared the couch to the left of them and Nia and her boyfriend, who introduced himself as Querl (but apparently preferred to be called Brainy) were settled around the coffee table engrossed in a Scrabble match. Brainy shot glances at Lena every so often, but said very little. He was mostly focused on the game, and from what Lena could see, the nickname was apt. The words he managed to lay on the board were unmatched, and Nia eventually stopped taking score and simply watched her boyfriend dominate the board with a love-sick expression.

When Lena wasn’t observing the lovebirds, she engaged in quiet conversation with the other three women. Alex and Maggie spoke of their job as park rangers, telling Lena about the animals that could be found in the forest. When they started recounting a thrilling tale about a bear that once came too close to cabins and had to be reallocated, they started finishing each other's sentences and gesticulating wildly. It was cute, but Lena was more focused on the bear part of the story.

“I thought you said there weren't any bears in the woods!” She exclaimed as she wiped her head towards Kara. 

Kara at least had the decency to shrink under Lena’s glare. “They never come this close to the lodge, I swear.” She held up her hands in defense and shot a wide eye look at her sister. “Help me out here, guys!”

Alex and Maggie found this hilarious, and Alex had to hold Maggie’s eggnog to stop it from spilling as she struggled to catch her breath. Time passed much too quickly and Lena kept looking at the clock, knowing she should excuse herself to work on her report, but she couldn’t get as far as rising from the comfy couch. The rest of the guests had vacated for the night, and even Eliza had bid the six of them goodnight before she climbed the stairs. Nia and Brainy were calling it a night too, with Nia rising to put away the Scrabble at the same time that Alex and Kara volunteered to refill everyone’s eggnog. Maggie excused herself to the bathroom, leaving Lena and Kara alone.

“Last one, then I really should go,” Lena said as she handed Kara her glass. She could have sworn Kara did a mini pout before she darted off after her sister. 

“You’re Lena Luthor, right?” A soft voice questioned. Brainy was standing next to the couch with his hand behind his back and his face questioning. 

Lena felt her blood run cold, as it did most times when someone recognized her. She nodded.

“I knew that you looked familiar. I’m a huge admirer. Your work in robotics was truly something else.”

Oh. Lena was taken aback. It wasn’t every day that someone saw her as Lena Luthor, scientist, and not just Lena Luthor, sister of criminal Lex Luthor. 

“Will you ever continue the work you started with the air purifier? I read about it at the beginning of last year, but it seems that all of that stopped after what happened with your br-”

“Brainy?” Nia interrupted. “We going to bed?”

He nodded. “I look forward to speaking with you more, Miss Luthor.”

Lena felt shell-shocked long after Brainy and Nia disappeared out of the front door. Lena’s heart suddenly ached to be back in her old lab at LexCorp, working on things that actually mattered. Like curing cancer or building machines that could drastically improve the air pollution in India. But that was impossible. LexCorp was liquidated, its premises taken over by some or another new company. Sure, she had her personal lab at Luthor Corp, but it was barely the size of a bedroom compared to the basement that Lex had graciously given her access to. If her mother knew just how much tinkering she was doing when she was supposed to be working, she’d likely shut it down. A terrible thought filtered through Lena. Perhaps Lillian had taken the opportunity to do just that in Lena’s absence. 

“Lena?”

Kara was standing in front of Lena with a hand of eggnog extended towards her. The lounge was cast in a dim light, with only a single floor lamp illuminating the room. Kara must have switched off the lights without Lena even noticing. She cleared her throat and accepted the glass, plastering a smile on her face as Kara took her seat next to her. She couldn't help but notice that the blonde sat slightly closer than before. 

“Alex and Maggie decided to call it a night. They told me to say goodbye for them.” When Lena didn't answer, Kara cocked her head to the side. “Are you okay?”

“Of course.” Kara didn’t seem convinced, but Lena changed the topic before she could enquire further. “So how long have Alex and Maggie been together?” She asked before taking a sip of her eggnog.

Kara chuckled. “I told them they still look like a couple sometimes. No, they’re just friends. They dated for a long time before going their separate ways. It was a hard breakup. They still loved each other, but,'' Kara hesitated, “it just didn't work out. They didn’t speak for a year and then Alex got into the park rangers and they kinda just jelled again, ya know? They’re closer than ever now. ”

“I'm glad I asked you instead of them. That would’ve been embarrassing.”

A shiver ran through Lena then, causing Kara to pause. “You cold?”

“A little.” The fire that kept the room toasty throughout the night was mostly coals.

“Wait a minute.” Kara placed her eggnog down on the coffee table and leaned over the back of the couch. She almost toppled over headfirst, and Lena gasped as she grabbed a fistful of Kara’s shirt. “I’m okay, I’m okay.” She assured as she adjusted her glasses once she was back on her seat. “Here.” Kara moved into Lena’s personal space and draped a thick wool blanket over both their legs. “Better?”

“Uhm, yes.” Lena swallowed. “Thank you.”

Kara was sitting close to Lena, their thighs touching under the heat of the blanket. Lena wondered how it was possible for her body temperature to change so drastically. Where mere seconds ago she was chilly, she now felt overheated, warmth spreading down her body like a ripple. Starting at her cheeks, moving down her neck, chest, and stomach, and finally settling low below her navel and between her legs. Shockingly, she realized that more than anything, she ached to be closer to Kara. She wanted to lean into the other woman, wanted to feel her skin.

“Lena,” Kara began softly.

Lena snapped her eyes up to Kara’s dark blues and flushed. She had been staring at her delightfully pink lips without noticing it. Kara’s cheeks were rosy and Lena wondered if they both were suffering from some sort of unknown malady that caused sporadic fevers.

“I wanted to ask you something.”

“Yes?” Lena murmured equally as soft.

Kara’s eyes flickered downward for a split second before she took a deep breath. “Tomorrow evening. I wanted to know. Are you– I mean I know you’ve got –“

The shrill ring of a cell phone interrupted Kara’s sentence. Both women jumped back, Lena straightening away from Kara with such force that she nearly spilled the remainder of her eggnog.

“Uhm, I think that’s you,” Kara said sheepishly when Lena made no other move.

Belatedly Lena extracted her phone from her jeans. “I need to take this.” She rose from the couch in one unsteady movement before placing her eggnog on the coffee table. “Goodnight, Kara.”

If asked, Lena will vehemently deny that she bolted away from Kara. She just walked, okay, perhaps power-walked away from the crestfallen woman. But what could she do? Sam was calling her. It might be important. Something could be wrong. It could be Ruby.

“Hello?” Lena answered breathlessly as she took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the tiniest feeling of protest emanating from her ankle. 

“Oh my God, she lives.” Sam’s snarky voice came through the line. She said something else, but Lena couldn’t make it out.

“Sam? Sam, hang on, I can't hear you.” Lena rushed into her room and went straight to the couch where she knew she’d get the best reception. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes, I can. Although I was starting to wonder if I ever would again. I don’t appreciate the radio silence.”

“What?” Lena’s brow furrowed as she plopped down on the couch. “I told you I was safe. I even sent you some pictures earlier.” 

“Yes, one where you seemed injured. Hence my ten follow-up messages, which you never responded to.”

Lena placed the call on speakerphone and clicked into her message app. There were indeed a handful of texts from Sam, expressing her and Ruby’s worry over her foot. Lena sighed. “I’m sorry, Sam. I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose. The reception here sucks.”

“Okay. But you can’t send injured emoticons with no explanation. What happened?”

“I slipped and twisted my ankle.” 

“Really?” Lena could easily picture Sam’s raised eyebrows. 

“Okay, well, I might have been pushed.”

“Pushed!” Two voices exclaimed simultaneously, followed by Sam telling Ruby to keep it down.

“Hey, Ruby!” Lena smiled at the image of the girl hovering nearby to hear the conversation.

“Hi, Auntie Lena! How are you doing?”

“Hush. You’ll get your chance with Lena.” Sam jokingly admonished her daughter. “Now tell me. Who do I need to come beat up?

“Nobody. It was an accident. Kara- she's the daughter of the owners- she pushed me as a joke. We were arguing about Christmas songs. No harm done.” 

“Christmas songs? The Lena Luthor I know would never listen to, nevermind argue about Christmas songs.”

“I can’t help it. Kara insists on playing them all the time.”

“Kara, Kara, Kara. You seem to be spending a lot of time with this woman. Is she hot?”

“Sam!” Lena blushed at the same time that Ruby made gagging noises in the background.

“I take that as a yes?”

Lena hesitated. “Maybe. A little. But she’s kinda like my tour guide. Nothing’s gonna happen, so don’t get all excited.”

“Wait a sec.” Wind ruffled through the background as Sam moved away. A door opened and closed. “Okay. Listen to me closely now, Lena. You deserve to get laid. Think of it as a gift from you to you. It’s the season after all.”

Lena rubbed her temple. “Sam, I’m here to work, not to start a Christmas fling. Besides,

I’m not even sure if she’s interested in women, or if she’ll even be interested in me.” Then there was the situation with Jeremiah and Lex’s drug, but Lena omitted that for the time being. 

Sam muttered something that sounded suspiciously like “useless” and “gay” before she let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m not telling you to marry her. Test the waters and see where they take you.”

“I think I’d like to speak to the other Arias now, please.”

Sam’s answering eye roll could practically be heard as she moved back towards her daughter. “We’re not done talking about this,” she warned. 

Sam mercifully didn't mention it again. Lena made sure of it by distracting her and Ruby with tales of how beautiful the lodge was and the charming traditions they had. Long after the call, Lena was still thinking about Sam’s words as she rolled around in her bed.

She was attracted to Kara. Clearly. Did Kara share the same feeling? If Lena squinted hard enough, she could come up with some evidence that lead her to believe that she might. The lingering glances. The constant blushing. Those things could be explained away though. But the moment they shared on the couch. That couldn’t be. Kara was definitely looking at her lips. Perhaps Lena had something on her face. Like eggnog. 

Kara seemed on the verge of asking something. Something important. Something that made her nervous. But what. 


	6. VI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’ve come to the shocking realization that it’s Christmas eve eve. Uh oops. I meant to have this fic complete by Christmas. Guess that’s not happening. I’m gonna try and write a chapter every day so it can at least be complete before Christmas week is over, but no promises ✌

Lena couldn’t believe she’d allowed herself to be dragged outside again. Well, maybe she could. She came to the shocking conclusion that she seemed to be unable to say no to Kara Danvers. Kara shyly cornered Lena at breakfast and after a slightly awkward moment of stuttering, invited Lena to come and watch the Ice Hockey match that was scheduled for later in the afternoon. Lena had noticed information about the match on the notice board as she dished her breakfast. She also noticed that it was four days away from Christmas. She had already made up her mind then: There was no chance that she was going to attend it. She’d already had enough photos of the lake and she really needed to work. In all her life Lena had never procrastinated a task, especially when it came to work. She was ready to put an end to her newfound distraction and laziness and get it over with.

But then Kara asked. And Lena said yes. Perhaps it was the way she phrased it. “Would you like to come watch me play?” Or the faint blush that dusted her cheeks after forcing the question out past her stuttering tongue. Or perhaps the adorable pout that formed on her lips when Lena hesitated to answer. Whatever the reason was, Lena still agreed and somehow found herself settled on a folding camping chair at the edge of the frozen lake. Eliza was keeping her company, sitting in her own chair as they waited for the game to start.

Kara was currently hauling a goalpost over the ice to the far side of the lake while the rest of the players were warming up, passing a couple of pucks between each other easily. Kara was unsurprisingly graceful on her skates as she made her way back towards Alex. The sisters were wearing matching light blue and white ice hockey sweaters with **DANVERS** printed on the back above their numbers. She looked unfairly good in her large sweater. Her hair was pulled up into a plait and she’d forgone her glasses in exchange for contact lenses. She’d painted two black lines drawn underneath her eyes, which somehow made her blue eyes stand out even more. 

After exchanging a few words with her sister, Kara skated over towards where Lena was sitting and came to a grinding halt, her skates scraping across the ice.

“You came,” she said breathlessly as she sank down to the snow to strap her shin guards over her hockey socks. 

Lena nodded. “Yeah, I said I would. Besides, I have money riding on this.”

Kara’s eyes went wide. “You do!?”

“Yup.” Lena couldn’t resist when Maggie drifted around earlier with a piece of paper and a taunt. “Come on, Luthor. Place your bet. Or are you scared to lose?”

“Which team did you bet on?” Kara asked once she pushed herself back up to stand on her skates. Lena could tell she tried to act indifferent as she collected her hockey stick off the ground.

“Uh, yours.” Lena blushed and hurried to justify herself. “I mean, I know you’re athletic and from what I’ve heard you and Alex work well together. Maggie tried to get me to bet on her team, but I don’t know half the people on it. Most of them are fellow park rangers, she said. So yeah.” Lena finished lamely. Wow, when had she turned into a bumbling idiot.

Kara flashed her a blinding smile. “Well, in that case I’ll make sure to win. Should be easy enough given my motivation.” 

Lena felt her blush deepening, and Kara’s infectious smile prompted her to grin back. “I’m looking forward to seeing you in action.”

Behind her, someone blew a whistle and Kara hurried to grab her gloves and mouthguard from her mother before she sped away.

“Wait, shouldn’t she be wearing a helmet?” Lena asked Eliza. None of the players were aside from the goalkeepers. Even though Lena knew very little about ice hockey, she knew enough to know that a blow to the head was dangerous. Panic crept into her voice as she repeated her question slightly louder than before, “Why is no one wearing a helmet?”

“They really should,” Eliza answered evenly. “But the games are never too wild. They’ll be okay.”

Lena felt doubtful about that statement. Maggie’s team was comprised of one guest that Lena recognized from the lodge, but the remaining players were strangers. Big muscled men who had to be her and Alex’s colleagues. 

“I agree with you, Miss Luthor. It is quite troublesome.” Lena turned to see Brainy appear with his own camping chair, which he planted in the snow next to hers. “Concussions are one of the most common injuries in ice hockey. Alongside sprains and dislocations.”

Lena nodded slowly and frowned at the new information. Brainy was frowning too, and she followed his gaze towards the ice. He was staring at Nia where she was currently getting a pep talk from Alex. She understood his worry. Nia seemed tiny compared to the men on the opposing team. 

“They’ll be fine.” She tried to reassure both herself and her new acquaintance. “And please, just call me Lena.”

The game set off soon after that, and the face-off had Maggie’s team taking control of the puck. Lena soon understood just how exhilarating it could be to simply watch a sport. Beside her, Eliza was cheering her girls on loudly, screaming every time any member of Kara’s team had control of the puck. Brainy was tapping his foot anxiously as he followed Nia’s form like a hawk. Lena didn’t think he had any real reason to worry. What the girl lacked in size, she made up in speed. She was nimble on the ice, making golden passes to Kara and assisting with half of the goals that Kara scored. Alex, on the other hand, was an equally brilliant goalie. She deflected shots that Lena didn’t even think was humanly possible. Despite their skill, the other team still broke through their defenses and made their own great plays, and by the 40th minute, both teams were tied.

“They call this a barnburner.” Brainy piped up as the players took their second break of the match.

Lena, who was watching as Kara gulped thirstily from a water bottle, reluctantly turned to face him. “Excuse me?’

“A barnburner. That’s when both teams score an unusually high amount of goals in a match. I was up Googling last night.”

“That’s sweet, Brainy,” Eliza spoke up as she handed them each a mug of hot chocolate that she seemed to have produced out of thin air. 

“I’m not sweet,” He complained. “Just worried.”

The game resumed soon after, with both teams scoring multiple goals in the last twenty minutes. Kara, according to Brainy’s Googling knowledge, achieved a hat-trick when she scored her third goal of the game. She glided around the ice with her stick in the air while the onlookers cheered her on. By the 58th minute, both teams were still tied, causing the final face-off to be tense. Kara’s team gained control of the puck and after a quick pass from Nia, Kara broke free and charged towards the opposite goal post. She swerved past one defender easily and for a moment she had a clear shot on goal. And she hit the ground with a sicking crack. One of Maggie’s players had come out of nowhere and shoved his shoulder into Kara’s back, hurling her to the ground, headfirst.

J’onn who was refereeing blew his whistle immediately stopping the play. Lena was up and out of her chair instantly with her hand over her mouth. She was faintly aware that she had screamed Kara’s name loudly, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t see if Kara was moving, the players surrounding her were obstructing her view. Images of the worst-case scenario flooded her mind. What if Kara was bleeding out on the ice? Beside her Brainy and Eliza also jumped to their feet with Brainy shouting angrily.

“Body checking a defenseless player is illegal!” He exclaimed as he raised a clenched fist.

The circle around Kara expanded as she slowly sat up, and Lena breathed a sigh of relief. Kara was holding the side of her head but still smiled as Nia helped her up and led her off the rink. 

“Honey, are you okay?” Eliza asked as she helped Kara sink down onto the snow. 

“Hmm hmm.”

“You hit your head?” Eliza confirmed as she tilted Kara’s face towards her. “Nothing blurry, no ringing in your ears, that sort of thing?”

Kara shook her head and immediately winced. “Just hurts.”

Despite her obvious discomfort, Kara pushed herself to her feet as J’onn blew his whistle once more.

“Why are you smiling?” Lena asked as she moved to stand next to her.

Her grin widened “Cause we’re gonna win.” 

Turned out Kara was right. Her injury secured her team a penalty shot and Nia easily scored a goal, bagging a win for their team. A potential concussion didn’t stop Kara from rushing back onto the ice to celebrate her team’s victory. She picked Nia up by the waist, easily lifting her into the air and spinning around. There were no hard feelings between the players as they all shook hands and smiled before leaving the ice. Alex punched Maggie lightly on the shoulder before holding out her hand. It seemed that Lena wasn’t the only one who bet on the winning team.

Despite Eliza’s persistence that Kara took things easy after her fall, the blonde still insisted on helping to put away the goalposts in the nearby shed. When she reappeared, she had an ice pack pressed to the side of her head and had shed her hockey jersey. Beneath it, she wore a black long-sleeve compression top that did nothing but accentuate the swell of her muscles.

Lena tried not to gawk, knowing that people were near, but she couldn't stop looking at the bulge of Kara’s biceps and the way they flexed as she repositioned the ice pack from where it was slipping out of her grip.

“Hi,” Kara said when she came to a stop in front of Lena. “Enjoy the game?”

“Surprisingly, yes. Although not a fan of you hitting your head on the ice.”

“Pfff, I’ve had worse.” Kara lowered the ice pack from her head as she spoke. “Besides, if a minor injury is what it takes to win, then I’m not gonna complain. After all, I had a promise to live up to.’

Lena rolled her eyes. “You’re a fool, Miss Danvers.”

“Oh, so now it’s Miss Danvers. Weren’t you screaming my name mere minutes ago?”

 _What the actual fuck_. Lena choked on air.

“I heard you yell as I toppled down to the ground. I’m sorry if I gave you a fright, Miss Luthor.”

Kara’s sudden playfulness took Lena off guard. “Are you sure you’re not concussed?”

“Certain.”

“Are you sure?” Lena asked seriously. “Shouldn’t you go to the doctor or something?”

“I’m fine. I promise.” Kara assured with a smile. 

“Good.” Was all that Lena managed. Kara was looking at her again. _Looking_ , looking.

“Listen, I really wanted to ask you something yesterday, but I kept getting interrupted.” Kara nervously tossed the ice pack from hand to hand, going faster and faster. “You’re free to say no, of course, but I-'' the ice pack slipped from Kara’s grasp and landed on the snow. “Golly.” She bolted down to pick it up, and when she straightened she tried to reposition her glasses, only to poke herself in the eyes due to the lack of them.

She hissed. “Ouch” 

“Oh my God, you’re just a walking accident today.” Lena laughed as she led Kara to one of the picnic tables away from the guests, keeping her hand on the blonde’s lower back as she held her hands out before her blindly.

“I’m okay.” Kara’s eye was red and watery as she leaned against the table. She blinked a couple of times and then smiled. 

“You wanted to ask me something?” Lena reminded her hesitantly after a short silence. She was curious and a bit wary about what Kara could want from her.

“Yeah.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Wouldyou. Like. Wanna getdinnerwith me?”

“Uh, sorry. I didn’t quite catch that.”

“Would you like to get dinner with me? Tonight.”

Lena was struck dumb as she processed Kara’s words.

“I mean you don’t have to, I just thought it could be nice? Think of it as a sorry for your ankle. And also it can be nice. Wait, I’ve already said that. You know what nevermind it was stupid-”

“Kara.”

The blonde froze mid-sentence and bit her lip. Lena considered her options. Her interest in Kara was very much confirmed, and she dared to hope it might be reciprocated. Sam seemed to think it was a good idea. If nothing came out of it, at least it could be nice, as Kara so eloquently put it.

“What time should I be ready?” 

* * *

Ten to six, Lena was pacing around her room in her underwear. It was cold, her naked skin erupting in goosebumps where it made contact with the chilly air. Her phone dinged from its spot on the couch and she bounded over to read the text. 

“The skirt and the blouse. I don’t care if it’s cold. Suffer for beauty.”

Lena groaned as she read Sam’s text. She was at a loss of what to wear, overthinking her limited outfit choices. A sweater and jeans would be the most practical choice and likely the warmest too. She had no idea where Kara was taking her, but she suspected it was better to be dressed warmly. But Kara had already seen her in jeans and sweaters. And Lena wanted to look nice. That’s where Sam came in. Lena had hurriedly snapped some pictures of her potential outfits and then proceeded to anxiously wait for her friend’s response, all the while cursing herself for not packing more weather appropriate dresses.

“You’ll look stunning. Throw some stockings and boots on and Bob's your uncle!” Came the next text. “Don’t overthink things and let me know how it went!”

Lena sighed but got dressed nonetheless. She didn’t have time to fuss any longer for fear of being late. She rolled a black pair of stockings over her smoothly shaven legs and slipped her black pencil skirt and blue blouse on. She wasn’t a fool. She knew her ass looked great in the high-waisted skirt, and even the blouse with its long sleeves had just enough cleavage to keep one guessing. With her light makeup and hair pulled into a half updo to expose her neck, she knew she looked good. She unlocked her tablet and grabbed her fur coat.

“Hope. Remind me to buy Sam a box of chocolates.”

* * *

Kara was waiting exactly where she said she would. She was standing outside the front door with her back towards it and her hands in her pockets. She was wearing a tight pair of dark chinos, a white shirt, and a navy cardigan. She turned upon hearing the front door open, her curled hair bouncing with the movement.

“Lena,” she breathed. 

“In the flesh.” Lena chuckled nervously.

“Are you up for a little walk?”

Lena hesitated, and immediately second-guessed her outfit. “I’m not sure I’m dressed for that.”

“Neither am I. But it’s not far.” Kara held out her arm. “Shall we m’lady?”

They walked in comfortable silence with their arms interlocked. The path seemed familiar, but Lena couldn’t be sure in the dark. 

“You sure no bears are lurking in these woods?” Lena teased after a short while.

“If there are, I’ll scare them away.” 

“I'm actually not too scared about the bears. I’m more worried about catching pneumonia.” Lena joked through teeth that threatened to clatter.

Kara pulled her closer, their shoulders flush together as they walked. “Don’t worry. We’re here.”

“At the lake?” Lena questioned when she recognized their surroundings. “What are we doing here?”

“You said you wanted to see everything, right?” Kara untangled their arms, causing Lena to shiver at the loss of warmth. Kare knelt down and patted the snow until she found what she was looking for. 

Two strings of rope lights were laid out on the snow creating a pathway that led to the ice. The moment Kara found the switch, the lights lit up in sections until it reached the ice fishing hut. The hut lit up too, the yellow glow illuminating the surrounding area.

“Ice fishing?”

“Yeah.” Kara reached for Lena’s hands and led her over the small patch of ice. 

When Kara opened the door for her, Lena was awestruck. The tiny hut was decorated with fairy lights that were twinkling softly. A small wood burner was going in one corner, casting the hut in a soft glow while simultaneously warming it. A tiny plastic Christmas tree stood next to the door, and two low wooden benches covered in plaid blankets were facing each other across from a hole in the ice.

“Kara, this is beautiful.”

“It’s nothing,” Kara replied bashfully as she fiddled with her glasses. “Here, let me take your coat.”

Lena slid out of her coat and watched as Kara’s eyes went wide. Given her expression, it was safe to say the outfit was a success.

“Wow. Lena. You look stunning.”

It was Lena’s turn to blush under Kara’s appreciative stare. “Thank you, Kara. You look nice too.” Kara had discarded her cardigan and started rolling up the sleeves of her shirt.

“Okay.” Kara clapped her hands together and reached to pull a tiny fishing rod out from underneath one of the benches. “Are you ready to catch your dinner?”

“Oh. I don’t fish.”

Kara laughed out of her belly.” I’m kidding. Sit down and get comfy. I’ll do the catching.” 

Kara winked and Lena felt her airwaves constrict.

Ice fishing, Lena learned, was a patient craft. Kara had expertly attached a hook and bait onto the rod and dropped the line into the hole. 

“And now we wait.”

And wait they did. Kara held the rod lazily with one hand as she took her seat on the opposite bench. Nothing happened, and Lena raised an eyebrow. 

“Is this gonna take long?”

“Hopefully not.”

Twenty minutes passed, but still no fish made an appearance. Lena didn’t mind. The conversation between them flowed effortlessly. Kara told her more of her upbringing, adding embarrassing stories about Alex. Lena, in turn, told her about her and Lex’s upbringing, careful not to mention him by name. Kara never pushed, allowing Lena to talk about whatever she felt comfortable with. She listened intently and a warmth spread through Lena. Few people were willing to give her the time of day, and here was this gorgeous, kind woman who seemed genuinely interested in her life. 

“Oh!” Kara suddenly exclaimed once there was a lull in their conversation. “I totally forgot. Do you want anything to drink?” She thrust the fishing rod in Lena’s hand and extracted a tiny cooler box from underneath Lena’s bench. “We’ve got some water and some soda. I didn’t know if you were a wine fan or not so-”

“Uh, Kara.” The rod in Lena’s hand had moved slightly. Kara didn’t respond, still rummaging through the cooler box. The rod gave a sharp tug, and Lena gripped it tighter. “Kara!”

“What's up? Oh yikes, okay, don’t panic.” Kara dropped the sodas she had in her hands back into the box and rushed to sit at Lena’s side. Lena tried to pass the rod over to her, but Kara shook her head. “Just real it in.”

“What?!” Despite her reluctance, Lena immediately started to reel the fish in.

“Hang on. Slow down.” Kara placed her hand on top of Lena’s causing her to stop her movements. “Drop the rod a bit then slowly real it in.”

Lena did as she was told.” Okay, okay.” She felt the weight of the fish as the rod tensed. “I’m fishing!”

“Yeah! You’re totally fishing right now! Keep going!” 

Kara jumped up and grabbed a net that was hanging on the door. Just when Lena thought she had lost the fish, it came flying out of the hole and Kara expertly caught it in the net.

“I got a fish!” Lena exclaimed proudly.

* * *

“That was delicious.”

“Was that the best meal you ever caught?”

Lena chuckled. “Uh, that was the only meal I ever caught.” The trout turned out to be delicious. Kara had warned her that her cooking abilities weren’t the best, but Lena had to disagree. When the trout came out of the little oven, it truly was delicious. The side of salad that Kara produced from her cooler box went well with it, and even the homemade gingerbread that Lena tried was good. 

“Thank you, Kara. I can scratch catching a fish off my bucket list now.”

“That’s on your bucket list? Seriously?”

“No, not really. If I had a bucket list, it would probably say ‘cure cancer’ or ‘solve world hunger’.”

“You truly are remarkable. Do you know that?”

Lena shook her head, trying not to blush under the praise. “Try telling that to my mother. What’s on your list?’

Kara hesitated. “I don’t have a list either, but my dream has always been to become a reporter. I’m hoping to fulfill that once you guys take over here.”

“So that’s why you don’t want to take control of the lodge.”

“Running the lodge has always been Jeremiah’s life. It’s his dream, not mine. I want to make a name for myself, you know?”

“Yeah,” Lena agreed with a sigh. “I know exactly what you mean.” 

* * *

“What do you think about Christmas now, after a couple days at Snow Valley?” Kara asked. They were on their way back to the lodge, arms linked again. 

“I don’t know,” Lena replied thoughtfully. “I dare say it’s starting to grow on me.”

Kara beamed. “I’m happy to hear it. Hey, the weather is starting to warm up. Maybe if you’re lucky, you might see snowfall on Christmas day.”

“That’s just gonna make everything extra cold again.”

The lodge was insight and Kara let go of Lena’s arm once again. Lena tried not to let her disappointment show as she walked slightly ahead of Kara towards the front door. Suddenly something cold and wet and hard connected with the back of Lena’s head. She gasped and reached back to find her hair was slightly damp.

“What the-” 

When Lena turned, Kara was the picture of innocence. She whistled a random tune with her hands clasped behind her back and her eyes turned up towards the sky. 

“You little-” Lena bent and scooped up a handful of snow. The cold substance stung her palms, but she ignored it and hurled the snow at Kara. It hit her full one in the chest, causing her to gasp in surprise.

“You’re gonna pay for that!”

Lena shrieked and ran towards the lodge as quick as her boots would allow on the slippery tar. “Ha! You shoveled all the snow away here just the other day.” She laughed as she reached the door. “That’s self-sabotage.”

“Oh, yeah?” Kara sprinted towards Lena and shook the snow off her hands and onto Lena’s face. “Didn’t think of that, huh?”

Lena giggled as the cold particles landed on her cheeks. “Stop!” She grabbed Kara’s wrists to stop the motion. “It’s cold.”

“Whoops. I’m sorry.” Kara sounded the opposite of sorry, her lips quivering as she tried to stifle a grin.

Lena realized she was still holding on to Kara’s wrists, and she slowly pried her finger away. She could feel the heat rising up her neck and cheeks. She was out of breath too, her breaths coming quick. All results of her brief run, surely. “I should go in.” She said halfheartedly.

Kara just hummed but made no attempt to move away from Lena.

“I had fun tonight.” Lena tried again.

“So did I.” Kara replied in a low voice.

She took a step closer to Lena, their bodies now inches away. Lena could feel Kara’s warm breath on her lips. It was coming fast, and Lena wondered if it was because of their brief snowball fight or because of their proximity. The twinkling lights that littered the lodge reflected in Kara’s glasses, and behind the lenses, Kara’s eyes flickered down to Lena’s lips then and up again. When she started leaning forward, Lena’s heart rate sped up to such an extent that she was sure Kara could hear it. She dropped her eyes to Kara’s lips just in time for her to see her tongue dart out to wet them. Lena closed her eyes as Kara’s nose brushed hers.

And then the front door burst open. The two women jumped apart. Kara was beet red and Lena knew she fared no better. 

“Kara, there you are.” Jeremiah was at the door, but thankfully he seemed oblivious to what he interrupted. “Cabin lights are out at cabin three and I'm busy. Can you handle it?”

“Right now?” Kara glared at him.

“No, it’s okay, Kara. Go. I’ll see you in the morning.” Lena shot her one last lingering smile before stepping into the warmth of the lodge. 


	7. VII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas Eve to all those who celebrate! Otherwise, I hope you're having a fantastic Thursday.

Lena liked to think that she wasn’t a nervous fidgeter. She was self-assured, confident, and very few things caused her to actually be nervous in the first place. Fidgeting and fiddling with one’s sleeves or hair were outlawed in the Luther House. Cracking your knuckles? Bouncing your leg? All no goes. Lena had caught on to that pretty quickly, but much to Lillian’s disapproval she had one habit she couldn’t quite break: Fidgeting with her hands.

On this specific morning, Lena was doing just that. She alternated between pulling on her fingers and pressing down on her nails. She rubbed her knuckles and twisted the single ring on her right hand while her eyes scoured the dining area. The room was filled with the hustle and bustle that Lena had become familiar with. Guests filled up the large table and the smaller ones surrounding it, all smiling and talking loudly amongst each other as they enjoyed their breakfast. Lena watched this while simultaneously looking for one person in particular. 

Kara.

Lena had gone to bed with such a ridiculous smile the night before that she was convinced she’d wake up with a strained muscle in her face. Kara had almost kissed her! Almost. She spent the night imaging how it would’ve been if Jeremiah hadn’t interrupted them. She imagined the press of Kara’s lips against hers. The touch of her hand against her cheek. She awoke early and proceeded to update Sam about her night, and then she headed back to bed and she waited for the acceptable time to get ready and go down for breakfast. The problem was that once Lena got downstairs, Kara was nowhere to be seen. Hence the fidgeting.

By the time the guests started to clear out of the dining room, Lena found her leg bouncing as she checked her watch. Her legs hadn’t bounced since she was four years old, and she slapped a hand on her knee in an attempt to relax her taut muscles. Perhaps having three cups of coffee as she waited for Kara to appear was a bad idea after all.

“Kara won’t be home until later this afternoon.” 

Lena twisted in her chair to find Eliza smiling kindly as she wiped down the table behind her.

“Jeremiah and she have gone into town to settle some affairs.”

“Oh.” Lena was simultaneously disappointed and relieved. It had crossed her mind that Kara might have been avoiding her. Perhaps she regretted their almost kiss. Was she happy that Jeremiah interrupted them? Maybe she didn’t want to see Lena again. 

Eliza flashed a knowing smile. “She’ll be back in time for the tree lighting event and carols tonight. I know she’s been looking forward to sharing that with you.”

Lena nodded, downed the last of her coffee, and made to stand up. 

“You can always spend some time with me if you were looking for something to pass the time. I’ll be baking for the most part, so I can’t promise it’ll be very entertaining.”

“That’s kind of you.” Lena hesitated. Spending the day in the kitchen didn’t appeal to her, but neither did sitting in her room and overthinking for the rest of the day. “You know what, I think I might take you up on that offer.”

Somehow the Christmas themed apron that Eliza handed her didn’t cause Lena to scoff in the way it might have less than a week ago. Instead, she smiled as she looked down at the little gingerbread man that adorned the front of it and chuckled.

“Let’s get baked?” She read aloud.

“Ugh, don’t get me started. Puns are Kara’s weakness.”

Chocolate Pecan pies were apparently also Kara’s weakness, Eliza explained as the two of them got the ingredients ready. That was why Eliza decided to bake a boatload of them.

“It’s supposed to be for the guests, but I know from experience that Kara will eat it all if she could.”

Baking, Lena learned, wasn’t that bad. She wasn’t terrible in the kitchen, cooking the odd meal every now and then, but baking wasn’t something she’d done much. Eliza was an excellent teacher though, and soon she was rolling out dough on the kitchen island as Eliza started filling the pie tins. 

“I suppose you’ll get chefs in to do this kind of thing once we’re gone.”

“Yeah, I suppose so.”

“I should make some copies of my recipe book for you.” Eliza pointed to an A4 book that was laying next to the microwave. ”All the fan favorites are in there.”

Once the first batch of pies was in the oven, Lena walked over to the book and started flipping through it. The pages were creased and yellow, and some pages were covered in stains. The recipes were classified by country and the countries listed alphabetically. She recognized the Polish soup she had at the lake and Icelandic pastries that Eliza had offered her the night she arrived.

“Why do you have so many dishes from other countries?” Lena wondered aloud. “Aren’t Canadians supposed to be very patriotic?”

Eliza shrugged. “It's just the way it is. These dishes stretch back to Jeremiah’s grandfather. Tomorrow I’m preparing a traditional Italian meal for Christmas eve. The feast of the seven fishes.”

“Do guests spend Christmas in the lodge?” 

“No, just Christmas eve. They usually choose to spend Christmas day in their cabins.”

Lena continued to page through the recipes until she landed in the Irish section. Mince pie, soda bread, and plum pudding were the three inscriptions, all written in neat but faded cursive. She stared at the page for a long time, wondering if her own biological mother ever made any of these traditional meals.

“See anything that you like?” Eliza asked as she wiped her hands on her apron and moved closer to Lena.

“I’m not sure. It’s just that I’m technically Irish, so I guess these recipes intrigue me.”

“Well, you’re free to try one if you’d like. My pantry is open to you.” Eliza lifted her apron over her head and hung it up. “I’ll be back in 40 minutes to check on the pies.” She paused. “Oh, and Kara has a sweet tooth, in case you haven’t noticed.” She squeezed Lena’s shoulder. “Perhaps that can help you narrow down your choice.”

Lena wasn’t sure if it was the last comment that swayed her, or the idea of recreating an Irish recipe to honor her mother, but soon she ruffled through the pantry to collect what she needed. The preparation seemed easy enough, and Lena followed it to the letter. She added the wet and dry ingredients and mixed them until it reached the right consistency. The recipe said to leave the batter in the fridge overnight, but Lena couldn’t be bothered and placed it in the freezer for a while instead.

“Plum pudding, huh?” Eliza asked smugly when she returned to take the pies out of the oven. “Excellent choice.” 

Eliza returned a couple more times during the day to rotate the pies out of the oven, but Lena stayed in the kitchen, perched on a barstool near the stove as she watched her pudding steam in a saucepan full of simmering water. She topped up the water occasionally and chatted with Eliza each time she returned. The pudding was done at the same time that Eliza’s last pie came out of the oven.

“That looks amazing,” Eliza said as Lena removed the sheet of foil and paper from the pudding, revealing its dark brown coloring.

And it did. Lena just hoped it tasted that way too. 

“Can you believe we’ve been at this for the entire day?” Eliza asked as she ran a hand through her hair before switching the stove off. 

“Shouldn’t Kara have been back by now?” Lena asked. She peered out the window only to find that the sun was setting.

“Yes, they should have been.” Eliza frowned. “I’m going to give Jeremiah a quick call.”

Lena was just about to drain the used saucepan in the sink when the back door opened.

“I smell pecan pie!” Kara exclaimed and then froze. “Lena?”

Kara’s cheeks were pink and her hair windswept. Her forehead sported an oily streak and the front of her white T-shirt had similar stains, but Lena couldn’t help but think that she’d never seen anything cuter.

“Hi.” Lena’s voice unintentionally came out as a whisper and she cleared her throat. “You’re back late. Eliza was getting worried.” 

“Oh, yeah. We had some minor car troubles.” Kara gestured at her shirt before she stepped into the kitchen and closed the door behind her. “Jeremiah never changed the oil, even though he swears he did, and then I had to hike back to town to get some. And everywhere was just so busy. Last-minute shopping and all. It was just a mess.” Kara plopped herself down on one of the barstools and sighed. “I’m starving.”

“I kinda baked you a pudding for you if you’re interested,” Lena mumbled after a moment’s hesitation. “It’s not pecan pie, and I can’t guarantee that it will be any good.”

“An entire pudding for me? Kara’s entire posture straightened and her face lit up. “Really?”

“Yeah. Really.” Lena chuckled as she grabbed the bowl,” It’s a traditional Irish pudding. I found it in Eliza’s cookbook.”

Kara, honest to god, licked her lips and held her hand out with a dreamy look. “Gimme.”

“It’s actually supposed to stand for at least 24 hours. Something about the flavors.”

“I can’t wait 24 hours, Lena.”

How was Lena supposed to resist that pout? She still meant to tell Kara that she could light it on fire with a bit of brandy, but Kara was already out of her chair to fetch a plate. Lena didn’t quite have the heart to correct Kara and watched as she dished a generous amount and dug in.

“And?” Lena asked anxiously when Kara remained silent with her eyes closed. Was it that bad?

“This is amazing.” Kara scooped up another mouthful and sighed. “So good. Here you have to try it.” She held out a spoonful towards Lena and leaned over the island to offer it to her.

Lena opened her mouth instinctively as Kara fed her a piece of pudding. “Oh, wow.” The flavors reminded her of a home she never knew. It reminded her of her mother. She couldn’t remember her features clearly, but she could suddenly picture her mum making such a pudding. She turned away and grabbed a paper towel as she bit back the sudden unwelcome emotion. She wiped at her eyes and blinked. “Not bad.” She said once she turned back.

Kara devoured half the pudding in one sitting with Lena just watching and occasionally stealing a piece off her plate. 

“Can you imagine how much better it could’ve been if you’d just let it rest?” She teased as Kara eyed the remainder, clearly contemplating another helping. “Or if you gave me a chance to pour some brandy on top and light it on fire.”

“What! Fire?”

“Yeah, you’re supposed to do that. And you’re supposed to serve it with whipped cream or ice cream,”

“Lena! Why didn’t you tell me that!?” Kara quickly covered the pudding with the tinfoil again and pushed it towards Lena. “Take it away from me. Tomorrow we’re lighting it on fire.”

Lena chuckled. “It’s too late now.” 

“Well, then you’ll have to make another one.”

“Sure.” 

Lena would make a thousand puddings if it meant Kara would smile at her like that. 

* * *

“So explain to me again what it is we’re doing?”

“Were gonna switch on the lights of the large pine tree outside and sing some carols.”

“But why?”

“Just because.”

A freshly showered Kara was escorting Lena down the stairs to the caroling event. She was wearing yet another preposterous Christmas sweater. This one was white, sporting a dog wearing a Christmas hat with the words “SANTA PAWS” above its head.

“I don’t know the words to any Christmas carols.”

“That’s fine. We usually print out the words to the songs we sing, just in case we have any grinches amongst our guests.” Kara nudged Lena with her elbow, causing them both to giggle.

When they reached the front door it was fully dark out and the guests were already standing around the pine trees, all bundled up in their coats and scarves. Eliza and Jeremiah were right in front of the tree with Jeremiah holding a switch in his hands.

“Will you do the honors?” He asked Eliza, passing the switch to her as Kara and Lena took their place next to Alex. 

The guests started counting down from ten as Eliza raised the switch into the air. “...five, four, three, two, one!”

Eliza hit the switch and the tree lit up immediately. Dozens of white lights illuminated the branches, and a massive star at the top of the tree shined brightly. Everybody gasped and started clapping hands. Kara was clapping especially enthusiastically as the guests started singing.

“O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree! How lovely are thy branches!”

Kara pulled a piece of paper out of her jean pocket and handed it to Lena. The words to the song were written in neat handwriting that had to be Kara’s. Lena smiled and tried to fall into place as she read the words. Kara had a lovely voice and was singing loudly beside her while glancing up at the tree with childlike wonder.

When the song died down, Eliza faced the guests and shouted, “Who wants hot chocolate?”

Cheers erupted, and the guests accompanied the Danvers back into the lodge. Kara made no move to follow, and Lena turned to face her.

“Happy Christmas eve eve.”

Lena groaned. “That’s not really a thing.” 

Kara nodded. “Yeah, it is.”

“Thank you for sharing this with me. For showing me how Christmas can be.”

“Of course, Lena. You deserve the Christmas experience with people who care about you.” Kara glanced up just as the front door closed. It was just the two of them and the twinkling tree. “Thank you.” She whispered as she took a step forward.

“For what?”

Kara shrugged. “For- I don’t know, coming here. For being you. For baking me pudding.”

Lena smiled and took half a step closer herself. She kept her eyes locked on Kara’s as she reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder. “You know it’s technically steamed, not bak-”

Soft lips touched hers as Kara closed the distance. The kiss was chaste and when Kara pulled back she was blushing furiously, even the tip of her nose reddening. They both giggled and Lena placed her lips on Kara’s, this time using slightly more pressure as she cupped her cheek. Kara’s hands found Lena’s waist and her fingers pressed into the material of her jacket. Lips parted as they moved together, and Lena could feel the other woman's smile against her lips. They pulled back for air and Lena licked her lips as she rested her head on Kara’s shoulder. They tasted sweet and-

“Kara Danvers, did you go and steal more of the desert after I took it from you?”

“Maybe.”

* * *

“Here we go, lovebirds,” Maggie teased as she handed Kara and Lena their second glasses of eggnog for the night. 

The three of them, Including Alex, were lounging on the couches in front of the fireplace again. Kara and Lena were setting close, their thighs pressed together and their wooly blanket draped over their legs again. Maggie was smiling smugly at them thanks to a fresh twenty dollars in her jeans pocket.

“I still can’t believe I lost the bet,” Alex grumbled as Maggie sunk down next to her.

“And I still can’t believe you bet on whether Lena and I would kiss before she left. How dare you, Alex? I thought we were sisters.”

Alex sighed. “I can’t believe I walked in on you pushing your tongue down her throat. That’s one thing a sister never wants to see.” 

Alex had become slightly worried when Lena and Kara weren’t around to accept their hot chocolate, and upon further investigation, she opened the front door to find the two of them lip-locked. 

“Technically, you walked out on us. Cause we were outside. And for the record, there was no tongue involved.”

Maggie brushed out into laughter as Alex gagged and stuck her fingers in her ear. 

Lena shook her head and drank deeply out of her glass. She felt Kara’s hand on her thigh underneath the blanket as she drew a shooting circle on her jeans.

“Just ignore them. If they become too much we can always go upstairs.” Kara blushed when she realized how that sounded. “Not like- I didn’t mean it.”

“Kara. It’s fine. I know what you meant.” Her hand found Kara’s under the blanket and she squeezed it. She would be lying if she said she didn’t want to go upstairs with her. Their close proximity and touching without really touching was sending heat down Lena’s spine.

“Ok good.” 

Kara was looking at her again and something in her eyes told Lena that she felt the same way. 

Lena’s phone rang and she jumped. It felt like a Deja Vu moment. Dread filled her as a name lit up her screen. _Lillian Luthor._

“Sorry guys, but I need to take this.”

Lena dashed out the front door, ignoring Kra’s concerned look.

“Mother.” She answered as she closed the door behind her.

“Lena. I haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“Yes. Sorry about that. I’ve been busy.”

“Busy enough to forget we had a meeting yesterday?”

_Shit._

“No matter. I expect you’ve done your research and your report is ready. Lena bit her lip. “Yeah.”

An eerie silence settled over the call. “Is something the matter, Lena?”

“No.”

“Okay, good. I don’t hope you’ve been slacking. The quicker we know what we’re working towards, the quicker we can get rid of that place. 

Lena hummed, her throat suddenly feeling tight.

“Well, I’ll meet you at 9 am tomorrow to go over your report.”

“Yes. 9 am. Christmas eve.”

The line cut just as the door opened up behind Lena. Kara walked up behind her and draped her coat over her shoulders. 

“You okay?”

Kara’s voice was laced with concern, but Lena couldn't turn around to face her. 

She shook her head. “That was my mother.”

“I know.”

“She wants me to give her my report tomorrow.”

“Are you ready?”

“I know what I'm supposed to say.” Lena sighed and turned around. “Kara, this isn't about Christmas at Snow Valley and just me observing your traditions. It’s about how I recommend she makes the changes she wants.”

Kara’s brows furrowed. “This place needs some improvement for sure, I agree.” 

“No, my mother is not talking about improvements.” Lena ran a hand over her forehead. “She’s talking about bulldozing Snow Valley to the ground. All of it.”

“Kara’s face went slack with understanding, but Lena kept going. 

“She doesn't want to keep anything, she wants to just start from scratch.”

“That’ll break Eliza and Jeremiah’s hearts.”

“Yeah, don’t you think I know that!” Lena exclaimed. She turned away from Kara, but Kara walked around her. 

“Is everything just always done the way Lillian wants?”

“Always. This is her company.”

“Well, isn't there a-a board of directors or someone you can appeal to?”

“You didn't go against Jeremiah, so don't ask me to go against Lillian.” Lena walked to the door but Kara grabbed her shoulder.

“Oh, I see how it is. You Luthors all stick together. Through thick and thin!” Kara dropped her hand and shook her head. “I was hoping you’d be different. But no. Just like your brother then. No matter who you hurt or how unorthodox your business is, as long as you get the money.”

Lena felt the blood drain out of her face. So it was true. It was Lex’s drug that caused Jeremiah’s hospitalization, and Kara knew he was Lena’s brother from the start. His ill health forced them to sell the lodge. The Luthors were the reason they were selling it, but also the reason that they’d be losing it forever.

Lena couldn't bear to look at Kara. She was right. Her family was terrible, and she was no different. She brushed past her and rushed inside the lodge just in time for the first of many tears to fall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here take this kiss directly followed by angst as a gift.


	8. VIII

_“Oh, I see how it is. You Luthors all stick together.”_

Kara’s words echoed through Lena’s mind as she walked past Alex and Maggie’s concerned glances. One of them called her name, worry laced through each syllable, but she ignored it. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Alex rise from the couch and place down her eggnog before glancing at Maggie. Neither of them followed her up the stairs and for that she was grateful. She needed to be alone.

Lena sank down onto the floor the moment her bedroom door shut behind her. She slid down the heavy wood and pulled her knees up to her chest as she wept. 

_“I was hoping you’d be different. But no. Just like your brother…”_

_Where was the lie?_ Lena wondered bitterly as warm tears streamed down her cheeks and chin until they dropped on her chest. Wasn’t she just like Lex deep down? Perhaps not to that extent yet. As a Luthor, albeit a half, it was only fitting that through some sick, twisted destiny she’d end up like him eventually.

Lena let out a humorous chuckle as she threw her head back against the door with a thud. Here she was assisting Lillian in taking a family’s livelihood from them. As if Lex hadn’t done enough by being to blame for almost killing Jeremiah. Lena’s heart bled for the countless other families who had lost people because of her brother’s hunger for power and money. Thousands of people were hurt in some way or other thanks to Lex. She did nothing back when his drug was first being developed. She heard his boastful plans of taking the pharmaceutical world by storm. He made no secret that he wasn’t doing things by the board, almost bragging that his business was slightly sketchy at the dining table. Lena had never questioned it. His success made Lillian proud, and each time he’d mentioned something that could never leave their dining table, her eyes would glisten with unspoken love for her only son. _“That’s my boy,”_ her eyes would say. 

Lena played the part of the dutiful sister, not wanting to be an even bigger black sheep than she already was by questioning his ethics or his practices. She applauded her brother’s cunning business decisions, praised him each time he added another check to the ever-growing list of maladies his drug would cure. 

She never once thought to visit his lab. Never once thought to question why his drug was approved so fast. Until it was too late.

Now here she was again. Lillian was the new boss, the new hope (or apparently the _only_ hope) to save the Luthor name. And Lena wanted to save the Luthor name _so_ dearly. Wanted to change the world’s perception of her family. Even if they’d have to branch out to buying and selling properties for the next couple of years until the dust settled. She didn’t care. She’d do it. Never once did she question it when Lillian bought a resort, or a family-owned antique shop, or a piece of land from an elderly couple for an amount that didn’t nearly match what it was worth. Business was business.

Except it wasn’t.

Lene knew it. Knew that Lillian’s dealings weren’t always legal. Or ethical. But she still did nothing about it. Just like with Lex. 

_“Just like your brother. You Luthors all stick together.”_

Lena allowed herself to cry until she could hear footsteps come past her door. There was no telling who it could be, but her thoughts immediately went to Kara. The same Kara who kissed her less than two hours ago, the Kara who took her to see the sunrise, who showed her how to icefish, the Kara who she baked a pudding for- that same Kara now hated her. Or had she hated her the entire time? People were only ever kind to Lena if they wanted something from her. Perhaps it was all a ridiculous ploy. Perhaps Kara knew that Snow Valley might be lost forever. Getting on Lena’s good side could have been her play all long. One last half-hatched plan to try and convince the Luthors to keep Snow Valley as it was. 

When another set of footsteps and hushed voices passed her door, Lena pushed herself up from the floor. She scrubbed her face in the bathroom sink, wishing she could scrub her brain instead. Even as she splashed water on her face, tears still leaked from her eyes. She pressed her palms into her eyes and swallowed down all emotion. There was no time for this. She was between a rock and a hard place, with Lillian arriving in a little more than 12 hours. The only thing Lena could do was finish her report, pack her bag, and never think about Snow Valley Lodge or Kara Danvers again. 

Yet, when she sat down on the couch with her laptop open on the coffee table, the words wouldn’t come. Even with her notes open on her tablet, she couldn’t bring her fingers to type what Lillian would want to see. Snow Valley was perfect the way it was. Of course, there was room for improvement, but Lena couldn’t justify bringing the place down. Destroying years’ worth of hard work. Generations of traditions. Lifetimes of memories. She just couldn’t.

A knock resounded on her door. Not forceful enough to be Alex. Unlikely to be Eliza. Just timid enough to be Kara. She ignored it.

When the door swung open to reveal the blonde, Lena wished she’d locked the bloody thing. She ducked her head before they could make eye contact.

“What do you want?”

Kara didn’t immediately respond. She shut the door softly behind her and slowly walked until she stood before Lena.

“Lena. I’ve come to apologize. The things I said-”

“No point. No harm done. You’ve spoken your truth. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

“No, you don’t understand.”

Lena pretended not to hear the woman. She pulled her laptop closer, her fingers hovering over the keyboard.

“I didn’t mean a word I said outside. I was upset, but not at you. I’m angry at myself. At Jeremiah. At your mother. But not at you.”

“Don’t forget my brother. You hate him too. And what was it that you said? I’m just like him.”

“Lena, please.”

The slight wobble in Kara’s voice prompted Lena to look up from her laptop. Kara’s eyes were red, a clear sign that she’d cried too. Still, it didn’t matter. Tears wouldn’t manipulate her. She dropped her gaze back to her laptop.

“You’re nothing like him.” Kara sank down to her knees on the opposite side of the coffee table and gently closed Lena’s laptop. “I need you to know that. Even if I don’t earn your forgiveness, even if Lillian does whatever she wants to with Snow Valley, I need you to believe that.”

“You don’t know me, Kara. Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps I am just another Luthor.”

“The Lena that I’ve got to know this week is the furthest thing away from just another Luthor. I know you would have saved the lodge if you could. Hell, I know you’d cure cancer if you could.”

Despite herself, Lena could feel her bottom lip tremble and she bit the inside of her cheek as she looked up at Kara. “Of course I would. But it’s a lost cause.”

“It might not be.” Kara placed a file on top of the closed laptop. “I’m gonna show this to Lilian after you meet with her. I know she might not even look at it, but it’s worth a try.”

Lena smoothed her finger over the title of the file. “Snow Valley Lodge: Growth and Changes.”

“Alex and I put that together years ago. It was like our ‘one year into the future plan’ for after we took over the reins. That was back when we both wanted to of course.”

As Lena flipped through the file, she realized that it had almost everything that she’d already compiled on her notes. An indoor gym, a clothing line, a tube run. It was well planned out, with maps and diagrams and everything. Although the costs of alterations were outdated, it had all the information they needed to revamp the lodge without bulldozing it.

“Kara, this is amazing. It keeps most of what's here and builds on it.”

“Do you think Lillian might feel that way too?”

Lena bit her lip. “Not if you just give her this file. You’re right, she won’t even read it.”

Kara’s face fell. “I’m still going to try. I can’t just sit back and do nothing.”

“Lillian has to see this.” Lena decided after a moment’s contemplation. “I can’t let her destroy this place. Fetch Alex. We have work to do.”

“What?” Kara’s eyebrows furrowed. “What about your report?”

“ _This_ will be my report.” She said tapping on the file. “If I can show Lillian what’s possible, perhaps we can change her mind.”

Kara rushed to the door but paused before she exited. “Lena, I am really sorry. I truly didn’t mean-”

Lena held up a hand. “Not now, Kara. Fetch Alex, we’ll need her input. And if we want to do this properly, we’ll have a long night ahead of us.”

Alex asked no questions as she followed Kara back into Lena’s room, although she shot Lena an unsavory glance upon entering. There was no doubt that she knew everything. She plopped down on the floor next to the coffee table and cracked her knuckles.

“Well, Luthor, where would you like to start?”

* * *

At 8 am the next morning Lena awoke to her alarm blaring halfway across the room. It must have been going off for some time because the shrill over the top jingle stopped shortly after Lena forced her eyes open. Her burning eyes struggled to make sense of her surroundings in the dim light of the early morning, and she had the overwhelming urge to close them and go back to sleep. But then something warm and heavy moved towards her right and Lena’s eyes snapped open again, all traces of her sleepiness gone. 

She glanced down to see blonde hair covering her shoulder and half of her chest. Kara was still fast asleep next to her on the couch, her feet pulled up underneath her and her head resting on Lena’s shoulder. _That can’t be good for her blood flow_ , Lena thought as she tried to recall how they came to be in this position. 

She remembered them finishing the report at around 3 am. All the improvements that the Danvers sisters had outlined, together with some tweaks from Lena and all the pictures she’d taken were all compiled into a Powerpoint presentation that, if Lena said so herself, was pretty fucking good. Alex called it a night then and sleepily shuffled off to her room. Kara stayed behind to help Lena go over the report one more time, checking for any mistakes or spelling errors. Lena was halfway through her second read though when she decided to rest her heavy eyes for just a second. She still remembered Kara sleepily warning her not to drift off, and then the next moment they both fell into a slumber. 

“Kara?” Lena tried as she nudged the blonde’s shoulder. “You need to wake up.”

Kara mumbled something unintelligible and snuggled horrifically closer to Lena. If it wasn’t for the day she’d had before, Lena might have found the sight endearing. Now, however, she just wanted the blonde off her. And a shower. And a massive cup of coffee. She nudged Kara again, causing her to gasp.

“I’m up, I’m up.” 

Kara rubbed her eyes as she sat up straight, looking adorable disoriented. She winced as she stretched her legs out before her and then froze. “Shit, did we fall asleep?”

“Evidently so.”

Lena rubbed at the stiffness in her neck before she pushed herself up to put her laptop on charge. 

“Lillian will be here soon. We have about an hour to freshen up.”

That got Kara’s attention. 

“Okay. I’ll get Eliza to set up the library for you.”

* * *

At exactly 8:55 a sleek black SUV pulled up to the lodge. Lillian was nothing if not punctual. Lena watched through the blinds as Lillian’s driver opened her door for her. Her mother looked as steely as ever in her long cream coat, black pants, and heeled boots. 

“You ready?” Kara asked from where she was peering over Lena’s shoulder. 

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Lena pulled on her blazer and walked over to the front door, opening it just as Lillian reached the porch.

“Lena. It’s good to see you.”

“Mother. This is Kara Danvers, Jeremiah’s daughter.”

“Merry Christmas, ma’am”. Kara held a hand out, but Lillian ignored it.

Jeremiah and Eliza were waiting nervously in the lounge. Lillian had the decency to shake their hands, before glancing at her wristwatch. “Can we speed this up, Lena? I’ve actually got some other business in the area I’d like to get to.”

* * *

“And so this-” Lena clicked to move to the last slide of her presentation “-is what the new lodge will look like after the renovations.” A beautifully drawn version of the improved Snow Valley popped up onto the TV that her laptop was connected to. 

Lillian was gazing at the presentation with an indiscernible look on her face. She crossed her arms and leaned back on the couch. “Who did that?”

“Kara. The new Snow Valley will build on what we have to attract new guests, but it also conserves what’s here now to keep its present guests. This will represent both of the target markets, and honestly, I like everything that’s here.”

Lillian nodded thoughtfully.

“What we should do is continue to give families the Christmas they love while giving new guests, people like me who never got to experience Christmas, an experience that they’ll never forget. 

“Wonderful.” Lillian began slowly, dragging out the words.” Fabulous. And total hogwash.” She leaned forward in her seat. “Luthorcorp already has a target market. We have a following! People with high incomes and no kids. They don’t care about the Christmas spirit. Christmas is just one big gimmick for the toymakers. An excuse for toy stores to have huge monstrous sales. Don’t you get that?”

Lena held Lillian’s gaze as her mother glared at her.

“Our market, our following- they don’t care about Christmas anymore!”

“What if they do?” Lena countered. “These young, rich people who make up our usual target market- they’re gonna have kids one day. This is exactly the kind of place they’re going to want to bring their kids to! This isn’t just a good business decision, it’s about doing what’s right.”

Lillian threw her head back and laughed. “Doing what’s right!? Lena, this is a business.”

“I can’t support you tearing Snow Valley down,” Lena said resolutely. “

“Well,” Lillian pushed herself up from the couch in one fluid motion towering over Lena. “I’m glad you like this place so much. Truly, I am. But that’s not what I sent you here for. And since you refuse to do that-” Lillian paused and sighed, “you’re fired.”

“Excuse me?” Lena got to her feet. “I-”

But Lillian was already out of the library and heading for the front door. The moment the door slammed shut, Kara was at Lena’s side.

“What happened?”

“She fired me.” Lena could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and she shook her head. “Didn’t think about that.”

Kara opened her arms, and Lena allowed herself to be consumed in a hug. Kara rubbed shooting circles on her back as Lena sniffed.

“I’m sorry I couldn't save it,” She breathed as she hid her face in the crook of Kara’s neck. 

“It’s not your fault. You tried. You did the right thing, and that’s all that matters.”

“There’s only one thing we can do now,” another teary voice spoke. Eliza was standing next to Jeremiah, tears silently streaming down her face. “We need to make this the best Christmas that Snow Valley has ever seen.”

* * *

“Ladies and gentleman, the feast of the seven fishes!” Eliza announced proudly as she gestured towards the dining table laden with food, desserts, and drinks. 

“And the thirteen desserts,” Jeremiah mocked, causing his wife to pull on his Christmas themed tie playfully.

“Dig in everybody!”

Beside Lena, Kara’s stomach let out an almighty grumble. She’d been eyeing the food all day. Since the moment they decided to go forth with celebrations as normal, everybody started pitching in. In between her immense feelings of guilt, Lena tried to lend a hand where she could, mostly staying in the kitchen with Eliza. Every so often Kara would pop into the kitchen to ask Eliza something, and each time, without fail, she proceeded to make heart eyes at the food. More than once Lena spotted her trying to sneak off with a piece of food, only for Eliza to swat at her with a kitchen towel. Now with the food laid out, finally ready to be consumed, Kara was looking at the table with absolute longing. Still, she hung back, letting the guests find their places at the table first. 

“What?” She asked as she spotted Lena looking at her. She self consciously tugged on the white button-up and glanced down at her outfit. 

“There’s nothing wrong with your clothes,” Lena assured her quickly. If anything, Kara was looking especially dashing in her pressed black pants, dress shoes, and white button-up. “You look lovely. I was just feeling sympathetic towards your growling stomach.”

Kara blushed and tugged at her glasses. “Thank you. You look lovely too.”

Despite herself, Lena blushed. Since she knew she wasn’t going to venture outside of the lodge, she opted for a more revealing red blouse to pair with her skirt. One that left her collarbones on display and hugged the curves of her waist. 

Kara pulled a chair out for her then and helped her in before settling next to her. The food was nothing short of delicious. And so were the deserts. Lena had to rail Kara in from not dishing pecan pie before dishing actual food. Her responding pout almost had Lena giving up, but then Eliza raised an eyebrow at Kara from across the table, causing her to withdraw her pout and reach for one of the many fish dishes. What amused Lena even more, was the fact that there was a suspicious absence of anything green on Kara’s plate, and when Lena dished herself a healthy amount of roasted veggies Kara pulled her nose up and looked away.

“Are you sure you don’t want to try these Brussel sprouts?” She asked, holding a forkful towards her on purpose.

“No. Thank you very much.”

After dinner, the guests retired to the couches to enjoy hot cocoa or coffee, while others remained in the dining area. Alex and Maggie were entertaining some kids with puzzles in front of the fire, Brainy was reading aloud from A Christmas Carol with Nia’s head in his lap. Jeremiah and Eliza were cuddled up under a blanket, whispering softly to one another.

“This is one of the best Christmases,” Kara said softly. 

Lena and she were standing next to the Christmas tree, Kara nursing her second mug of hot cocoa.

“I’m glad to hear it. All things considered, it’s the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

Their eyes met, and Kara bit her lip before downing the rest of her drink. 

“Will you accompany me somewhere?” Kara asked hopefully.

“As long as it’s nowhere cold.”

“It will be,” Kara replied after a chuckle. “But it will be worth it.”

Lena swapped her heels for flats and pulled on her blue jacket, laughing at the way it clashed with her skirt. When she met Kara at the front door, she had also grabbed her jacket and was holding a blanket under her arms. 

“It’s a little cold for a picnic, Kara.”

“Not a picnic.” Was her only response. 

Kara led them to the back of the house until they reached a narrow wooden staircase that seemingly went to the roof. 

Lena turned around with a single raised eyebrow. “You’re kidding me right?”

Kara shook her head. Somehow Lena managed it up the stairs, relieved to find that they seemed to be secured quite well to the side of the house. Kara was right behind her, holding out a steadying hand in case Lena slipped. Once on top, Kara placed the blanket down on the tiles of the roof and helped Lena up. Lena never looked down once as she took Kara’s hand and hauled herself onto the roof.

“Wow,” She said awestruck once she saw the sight before her.

“I told you it’ll be worth it.” 

From their vantage point, Lena could see far onto the property that lay behind the main lodge. Dozens of little cabins were scattered around trees. Most of their lights were on, and some chimneys had smoke coming out from them. With the backdrop of the mountain, it looked like something off a postcard. 

They sat in silence for a while, the only sounds that of the front door opening and closing as cheery guests went back to their cabins. Lena tried not to think of anything. Tried not to think that she might never have another Christmas like this again, tried not to think that in a couple of months the entire area before her would be demolished. Tried not to think that she was suddenly unemployed. 

“Lena,” Kara began after a while. “I would really like to apologize again. Properly this time.” She hesitated as she gauged Lena’s reaction.

Lena let out a tiny sigh as she turned her head. Their argument was also something that Lena was trying not to think of. 

“Yesterday I said- I said things I didn’t mean. I was angry and upset and that wasn’t fair to you.”

“Nia told me your father almost died. That was my brother’s fault.” Lena said and looked back towards the view. “I completely understand how you could hate me and my family.”

“It was his fault, yeah. Which is exactly why it was so wrong for me to hold a grudge against you simply because you share the same last name. When I first heard who Jeremiah was selling to, I was outraged. How could he sell his life’s work to the same family that almost killed him? But you see what type of people Jeremiah and Eliza are. They didn’t blame Lillian one bit for your brother’s wrongdoings. It took me and Alex longer to come around to that notion, but we did eventually.”

“Lillian is terrible in her own ways.”

“Perhaps, but still. Then when you rolled up here, I was feeling it all over again. I didn’t even realize Lex had a sister, and then you made it worse by being beautiful.” Kara chuckled. “I was dumbstruck and angry. How dare they send a Luthor up to our home? I tried hard to dislike you at first, but you- you're not an easy woman to hate. The more time I spent with you, the more I wanted to get to know you.” 

“I’m sorry my brother’s medicine hurt Jeremiah. I'm sorry that he had to sell the lodge. I’m just sorry and I know that saying sorry will never be enough to atone for the things my family has done.”

“You don’t have to atone for them.”

“I appreciate that, and I forgive you for the things you said. I truly am sorry that Lillian is going to demolish this place.”

“The contract never stipulated that she wouldn’t. It’s Jeremiah’s fault for taking her at face value.”

“You’ll never be able to sit on this roof again,” Lena said after a moment. “Never be able to try and steal food from this exact same kitchen. Never be able to light the tree and sing the carols.” Lena’s voice cracked with the sudden emotion. She was heartbroken after experiencing the lodge for just a week. How much more did Kara and her family not feel?”

“Hey,” Kara said softly as she reached for Lena’s hand. “We have tonight and that’s enough. We’ll make new traditions, find new ways to have our Christmas.”

Lena nodded, not quite trusting her voice. 

Kara scooted closer across the blanket, her fingers weaving through Lena’s. “I would understand if you’d rather not, given what happened after our last kiss, but Lena, can I-”

“Yes,” Lena breathed as she closed the distance between them. Regardless of what transpired between them, Lena would be lying if she said she didn’t dream of kissing Kara again. 

Kara’s lips tasted of chocolate, and her kisses were just as sweet. Her hand came up to cup Lena’s cheek and pull her even closer. Their lips moved together in tandem and Lena couldn’t help but let her tongue glide over Kara’s bottom lip.

“Merry Christmas,” Kara whispered against her lips.

Lena was just about to press their lips together again with the intention of deepening the kiss when Kara pulled back with a gasp.

“It’s snowing!”

Lena’s brow furrowed. “What?”

“I said it’s snowing, Lena! Look!”

Indeed, little flecks of white were drifting from the skies almost lazily. They floated down with the gentle wind until one flake made contact with Lena’s face. It was cold for the slightest moments before it disappeared. Beside her Kara opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue, giving the impression of a tired and thirsty dog.

“It’s beautiful,” Lena said, mesmerized as she looked up at the sky. The flakes were starting to come down faster.

“It truly is.” Kara agreed.

When Lena looked back at Kara she wasn’t surprised to see blue eyes locked on hers. Kara was just the type of person to participate in such cliches. Lena raised an eyebrow at her and she just chuckled. Snow stuck to the lenses of Kara’s glasses and started to melt in some places. She quickly disposed of them in a pocket of her jacket. 

“Now, where were we?” She asked seductively as she pulled Lena closer once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments you guys have been leaving. Can't believe there are only two more chapters left. Thanks so much to everyone that's been following this story :)


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